Hungry Eyes
by Playful-Kitten7
Summary: Red and Lizzie are on the run. Takes place after the season 2 finale. How will they cope being in each other's space the whole time without giving in to the feelings they clearly have.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first fanfiction ever. I just love Red and Lizzie and just want to see something happen with that amazing chemistry they have. I'm new to writing fanfiction and English is my second language so be gentle in the comments. Please comment and tell me if I should stop this right here or continue. All mistakes are mine. Thanks to my wonderful beta Meaghan for making this readable. Disclaimer: I don't own the Blacklist, I just like to use them for fun and smut.**

 **A/N: I'm in the process of letting my beta edit chapter 1-3 (when I didn't have a beta).**

She was struggling to control her breathing and her palms were beginning to sweat. She was too nervous to move, too scared that she might touch him. Lizzie was lying straight on her back with Red right next to her. She couldn't believe that she was sharing a bed with the Concierge of Crime. It felt like it had only been a few hours since she had pulled the trigger on Connolly and he had dropped to the floor in front of her.

It had actually been three days of travel on the road since Red came to pick her up in that white van. Now, thinking back on it, it was all quite a blur from the moment after she had rested her head on his shoulder. The last thing that she truly remembered is his smell - it was intoxicating, all man, all Red. He smelled like leather and whiskey with a touch of something that was unique just to him.

After getting into that van they had been switching cars, only grabbing fast food so that they could stay constantly on the move. Now, the first time they had stopped for more than an hour, she could barely think straight. Her head was reeling constantly.

She was tired, scared and she really needed a shower. They booked into a motel, a location which she couldn't quite understand because of Red's high standards. He explained that the cash and fake names wouldn't raise any suspicion at a place like this, and that because of his previous hotel standards, pursuers would not immediately think to look at a motel.

The moment he opened their room's door she saw that they were going to have a big problem - or should she say… a small problem, seeing as the size of the bed could barely count as a double bed. Her eyes drifted to the rest of the room, looking for a chair or a couch or anything. But there was nothing else that could remotely be used as a somewhat comfortable sleeping surface.

Red seemed to feel her discomfort, knowing that she noticed their problem. "This was the only room they had available. I guess at places like these, there is no use for two beds." His voice sounded tired and on edge. He continued, "I would have proposed to sleep on the floor, but honestly, Lizzie, I might catch some kind of disease. Judging by this place, I don't even think the bed is safe to sleep on. Unfortunately, this will have to do for tonight. We really need to catch up on some proper rest, and this is an opportune time."

Lizzie just stood there, looking at him, thinking that she was really too tired to care. "I'm going to take a shower, Red." She replied instead.

She scrubbed herself raw, trying to erase everything that had happened before they went rogue and went on the run. She tried to wash away Tom, as well. How stupid could she be, hooking up with Tom? At least now she knew that he was completely out of her system. She hated herself for it, giving herself to the man who had lied to her about everything, the man she thought she loved, her ex-husband. She scrubbed even more fiercely, trying to wash away the guilt of shooting Connolly. The warm water seemed to relax her, although it didn't help with her conscience. Suddenly, she realized that she should probably leave some warm water for her traveling companion.

After drying off and wrapping a towel around herself, she paused. Oh, no… how could she have forgotten about clean clothes… She looked at her dirty clothes that were laid out on the sink. There was no way she was wearing them again if she could help it. She remembered that Red had brought two duffel bags with him when they had entered their room.

Lizzie opened the door a crack and found him on his phone talking to someone in French. He didn't notice her at first but the moment she opened the door even further he looked up. Lizzie's breath caught at the intensity of his stare when he gazed upon her form.

His eyes were moving from her wet hair down to the swells of her breasts peeking over the top of the towel, and lingered a little too long on her bare legs. She cleared her throat, making him aware that he was in fact staring, and a blush began the creep up her chest and onto her cheeks. Being covered in so little in front of him was scary and exhilarating.

Red finished his phone call with a quick 'merci'. Lizzie was about to ask him for some clothes when he picked up one of the bags and put it on the bed. He pulled out a smaller bag that was inside of the bigger one. He came to stand right in front of her.

"Well, Lizzie. Tell me: is the water pressure good? Because I really do hate to stand under those dreadfully light sprinklers." His voice was calm as if nothing were out of place, like it was completely normal to have a nearly naked Lizzie barely two feet away.

She wasn't nearly as calm as he was. Was she just imagining the heat in his eyes? No, she couldn't be… she was so sure it was right there. She tried to answer him in a steady voice. "Well, it's not a five star hotel, but it's alright."

She hoped that he didn't see the effect he had on her. She really couldn't help it… it was like her body was betraying her. Well, of course, she needed to be honest with herself: she had been attracted to Reddington from the first moment she laid eyes on him, sitting strapped to that chair at their first meeting. The attraction had only intensified as they worked together.

The man just had it all: that look he could give that made you feel like the only thing that was important; those three-piece suits she admitted she fantasized about getting him out of; oh, and that voice. His voice could make her forget about everything else: the fact that she shouldn't be having these kinds of thoughts about him, the fact that he was a criminal, number four on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

She must have been quiet for too long, because Red was handing her the bag.

"Lizzie, I think everything you might need at the moment will be in there. It's not much, sweetheart, but as soon as we are out of the States I'll take you shopping. If you don't like my choice of clothes, you could always stay like that. I must say I really do enjoy the view…"

Red gave her a wicked grin and chewed on the inside of his cheek. Before she could reply, he had his back to her, busily searching for something in the larger bag on the bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the follows and the reviews, it feels like opening a Christmas gift. Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, but it took me a while to decide if I want to continue this story. Thanks to my amazing beta Meaghan for making this readable. Please tell me what you think, it means so much to me. Disclaimer, I don't own the Blacklist or its characters, if I did then we would have seen some Lizzington action by now.**

Red was lying on his back next to her. It was his Lizzie who was barely eight inches away. He tried not to think about it too much, because his pajama pants were getting a little bit tight. How could he not think about her lying there? He'd been dreaming about having this incredible woman in his bed from the moment she stuck that pen in his neck. It was a bid odd that he found it a turn-on, he thought to himself. It was the way she was so strong and fought to be in control, while her fake husband was breathing on machines. Yes… he could think about Tom; that would surely help with the situation in his pants.

She suddenly moved onto her side, away from him. He felt the loss of her body heat so near to him. He wished he could just crawl up behind her, put his arms around her, and pull her lovely body to his chest. Oh how he wished he could just place butterfly kisses from behind her ear and onto her neck. She would be so soft. He could imagine the feel of her skin like silk under his fingertips, his mouth, and his tongue.

He needed to stop that train of thought immediately or otherwise he might embarrass himself. He needed to think about her well-being and not the itch of his groin. He could see it in her eyes earlier when she woke up; the realization of everything that had happened, and was still happening, finally sinking in. Why did she do it; why did she shoot Tom Connolly? Now she was more of a threat to the Cabal than ever. They would now be spending every resource at their disposal on eliminating her. She had only proven to them that she is a wild card; something that the Cabal could not have around.

There was no way that Red was going to let them harm a single hair on her head. He was going to protect her and hopefully she would finally see that he wasn't a real monster. He was willing to do anything to protect her. If that made him a monster, then so be it. Red simply wished that she would see the man beneath. They did have chemistry… there was no way that Lizzie could deny that. Her body spoke for her, when she had blushed when he looked at her in that towel. Red thought back to his own body's reaction.

When she came out of the shower with that excuse of a towel, he nearly had a heart attack. She was unbelievably beautiful. Some drops of water from the shower were still lingering on her skin. He was jealous of those drops getting to touch her skin, rolling down the swell of her breast and down her cleavage. He wanted to be there, he wanted to bury his head there, only lifting it to kiss her. He wondered if her lips be as soft as they looked. What would she taste like? If her kiss was anything like his dreams, she would taste sweet and fruity. She would taste like… more. He didn't think that he would be able to survive with only one taste of her. He would need all of her. Everything she had to offer he would take and ravage. He wanted to pull her close to him and make her feel what she was doing to him. He would worship every inch of her body.

He really did need to stop this right now… stop thinking of her pressed up against him or beneath him. He needed some control back and decided he was going to think about the journey that lay ahead, and keeping her safe during said journey. There would be no sleep for him tonight. Not with Lizzie so close to him, but also entirely too far. Not that he slept much anyhow, but he knew that a few hours of sleep were needed for him to be at his sharpest. It was better to go through his plan for them, for her… their escape plan.

Lizzie turned on her shoulder, facing away from Reddington. She didn't want him to see her blush. She was indeed blushing, thinking of her fantasies and dreams about Red. In her fantasies they were all tangled up in the sheets. She had scolded herself when she caught herself fantasizing about Red while she was with Tom. She couldn't help it… even when she suppressed her fantasies she would often wake all sweaty and needy - not for her husband next to her, but for the man that turned her life upside down. She wondered what he would be like in bed… would he be the gentleman type, all soft and tender, or would he be rough, claiming what he thought was his?

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There was no way that she was going to be able to fall asleep next to Red. She had thought things couldn't get any worse when suddenly, it did. First it was moaning and then the bed's headrest started to hit the wall. Their next-door neighbors were very much enjoying themselves, it seemed. This was going to be a long night, Lizzie thought to herself.

She woke later from the feeling of being too warm. She wanted to push the covers down when she realized that the source of the heat was coming from beneath her. She couldn't remember turning her electric blanket on. She felt silk boxers underneath her leg and a mixture of chest hair and material underneath her cheek. Then it hit her like a glass of water to the face. She wasn't in her own bed. She wasn't lying with her ex-husband. Oh hell, she was half on top of Raymond Reddington. She was lying on her side, in his arms, with one leg wrapped over his and her head on his chest. This was a complete mess. How would she be able to look him in the eye after practically lying on top of him? His one arm was wrapped around her shoulder and the other was on her thigh.

Okay… so she wasn't the only one to blame. She needed to move away from him quickly, before he woke up to find her draped over him. To be honest, the feeling was actually pleasant. He smelled like the rainforest and man. It must be the soap he used last night in the shower. It felt nice to be held by him. This incredible man, that offered everything up for her. She opened her eyes slowly, drifting her eyes up to his. His were closed and his breathing was steady. Good, she thought, he was still asleep. She could maybe escape this situation without making a fool out of herself. His face was so peaceful and he looked so much younger. She wanted to trace her fingers along the morning stubble on his cheeks. She fought the urge to touch him and slowly slid out of the bed, before she caught herself doing something she could never take back. She took her bag and made her escape to the bathroom.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for all the reviews and follows, it makes my day (and makes me write faster). Well this is how their actual journey begins. Hope they aren't too out of character. Really hope you enjoy this one. Thanks to my amazing beta Meaghan for making this readable. Disclaimer: I don't own the blacklist or the characters.**

Breakfast consisted of muffins that they grabbed before they hit the road again. Red was all cheery and telling her all kinds of stories. They had switched cars twice already today and Liz needed to know their plan.

"Red, where are we going?"

"Well, we're on our way to a private air strip. I arranged a private jet to take us to Rome. Some old associate owes me a favor or two. The FBI will be tracking all of my usual transportation methods. By now they know all the tail numbers of my planes. They won't be able to link me to my associate. Soon we will be off U.S. soil." He was looking at her calmly, closely, watching for her reaction. It looked like he was waiting for her to protest. She hadn't done any protesting the last few days and it was so unlike his Lizzie.

"So we're just going to run away then, I take it?" She sounded tired and matter of fact.

"Well yes sweetheart, but it's only for now. When we're off the FBI's immediate radar we can form a plan. Lizzie, I do need to warn you. This life won't be easy. I'm sorry my dear, but you are a criminal now and you're going to need to act like one if you want to stay alive."

Lizzie looked at him in a way as if she was about to say she's 'not a criminal', and he could see everything sinking in again. Sadness fell over her face. He wished that he could just draw her into his arms and let her cry it out. She was a strong woman and she was going to need to stay strong if they were going to make it through this. Why did she do it? Why did she shoot Connolly? Yes, she would've always been in danger from the Cabal if she hadn't shot him, but at least her name and face wouldn't be pinned up next to his own on the FBI's Most Wanted board. He failed to keep her safe, yet again.

To make everything worse, now she also remembers shooting her father. He wanted so much to keep that dreadful memory away; to protect her from it. Maybe he shouldn't think that her discovering the truth about her father's death was as an all-bad thing. The way she looked at him after realizing he had blocked her memory to protect her… the honesty and emotion in her eyes scared the hell out of him. She had looked at him like she could finally, really trust him.

They stopped at a small air strip. The driver got out of the car and opened the doors. There was a small, private jet standing on the strip. A man in a suit walked up to them, greeted Red and whispered something to him during their greeting hug. He nodded to Liz and took their bags. The jet was small but no luxury had been forgotten. There was a bottle of wine and expensive whiskey on a table next to them.

"Lizzie, may I pour you a glass of white wine?"

Before waiting for her to answer him, he poured her a glass of wine and himself a whiskey. He handed her the glass and as she took it from him, their fingers brushed against each other. Her eyes shot up to his, which were already on her, his steady gaze looking for her reaction to the touch. She felt warm, feverish even, gazing into his beautiful eyes. He did it on purpose, she suddenly realized. She took a steadying breath.

"Thank you, Red." Lifting the glass, she took a sip. There was a grin on his face like he knew something she didn't. What was he playing at?

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Red sat opposite her and took a heavy sip of the whiskey, toying with the taste of it on his tongue. The way she looked at him just then when their fingers touched proved to him that he was indeed correct. Lizzie was noting him in a new way. He wasn't sure, this morning, when she was all snuggled up on his chest. He wondered, if he hadn't pretended sleep, if he had just opened his eyes the moment her fingers touched his cheek, if she would look at him like she did just now. There had been heat, uncertainty, and something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

If he didn't know any better, he would've thought that it was longing he had seen in her eyes. Probably not, because the moment she realized what she was doing she had run for the bathroom. It was probably a good thing that she had, because his edge of control was wearing thin at that time. He had wanted to pull her further on top of him so that she would've been straddling him. He had wanted to bury his face in her chest, place soft kisses over her collarbone, neck and chest. It was good that she had left because he had been half hard and she would've surely noticed if she had hiked that leg of hers up any further.

To be honest, he wouldn't have known what to do if she had opened her eyes, looking straight at him with her body half-draped over his. He would've surely kissed her and that would not have been good. Oh, it would've been good all right, but it would've complicated things and he was scared that she didn't share his feelings. If she decided to stop running and turn herself in because of him, her life would be over and he wouldn't let that happen.

So… maybe he needed to take a different approach. They were already past the point of no return with the 'running away' plan. She wouldn't - or rather, couldn't - ask him to go back now. She knew that he was the only one that could keep her safe. Maybe, just maybe, he could keep her safe and see what this new area of their relationship held in store for them. Maybe he could explore it, see what it would be like to just be Red and Lizzie. Not the number four on the Most Wanted list and the FBI profiler who happened to be his handler. He wanted to show her places she never even knew existed. He wanted her to trust him, to be her rock to hold on to in times of storm.

Mostly, he wanted her to feel… to feel the same feelings that he was feeling right at this moment. He would do this the old-fashioned way, the Raymond Reddington way. Wine and dine her, shower her in gifts, work to make her laugh again, show her a different side to him… the romantic fool. That was what he was, wasn't it? A fool in love with a woman he could never deserve. It was a dangerous road that he was going to take, but he didn't care; dangerous was his middle name.

Red made up his mind: he was going to court her. Luckily for him, he had decided on one of the best possible places in the world for that with their escape plan. He knew he was being selfish, but to be honest, that was the type of man that he was. Normally he wouldn't be selfish with Lizzie, but he knew that he could keep her safe while trying to make her see him in a different way.

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They didn't talk much during the rest of the flight. Lizzie just stared out the window at the sky. The plane landed and Red got up to speak to the pilot. As she stepped out of the plane, down the steps, she took in her surroundings. She took a look at the airstrip and the hangar. It was a private airstrip once again, no doubt.

There was a black car waiting near their plane. Red walked up to it and opened the door for her. It was the usual type of cars that Dembe used to drive Red around in. There was no Dembe, just a stranger who nodded at them. She wanted to ask Red where they were heading but decided better of it, not knowing if they were able to speak freely in front of the stranger. The drive didn't take long and soon they were at their destination. She assumed as much, at least, because the driver got their bags. It must be the countryside of Rome, because they were at what looked to be a vineyard. Red took the bags from the driver and thanked him before the man drove off. They were standing in the driveway of a house that looked more like a resort than a home to her. It was mesmerizingly beautiful; it was one of those typical Rome/Italy-styled countryside homes.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Red walked to the door and unlocked it.

"Yes, it definitely is." Lizzie followed Red inside, a little dumbstruck.

"We have this amazing place all to ourselves without having to worry about the FBI. They won't be able to trace the purchase."

"Red, are trying to tell me you own this house? That it's not just a safe house?"

"Well actually, I'm proud to say, yes. I own several other places around the world, but this has always stayed one of my favorites. It's just so peaceful and the countryside is simply breathtaking."

Lizzie simply followed him through the house, trying to take everything in. The house was amazing in the inside as well. Stunning and expensive artwork hung on the walls and the place smelled like leather. Red stopped at a door on the second story and opened it; he moved his head to the side indicating that she should enter.

"This will be your room for the time being, Lizzie. You have your own bathroom and you will find that all you need has already been provided. I know I promised you shopping and I intend to keep my promise, but you will find a full closet. I'll leave you now to get settled. My room is just down at the end of the hall."

With that he just turned around and closed the door behind her. She walked to the window, opening the curtain further to take in the view. It was filled with hills and valleys - it was beautiful.

She opened up the closet out of curiosity. Her mouth fell open. Inside were Lizzie's usual type of attire, but there were also dresses. Summer dresses with open shoulders and formal dresses, which looked like they must have cost a fortune. She checked the label of one of the dresses and a pair of pants. How did he know her size? She opened a drawer of the dresser. Inside was delicate lingerie, the type with lace and silk. She lifted a bra and again, it was the right size. She was starting to blush now.

Had Red picked out these things himself? How did he even know her size? Did he notice her in the type of way that he could guess her bra size? The thought was strangely arousing. She then realized that he had picked up her things at the motel and must have gotten her sizes from the clothes that she had been wearing. Still, that meant that Red had been through her underwear drawer. Was that maybe why it was suddenly all lace and silk, and not her usual, plain type of underwear? Before she could dwell too long on the thought, there was a knock on her door.

"Yes, you can come in, Red." She closed the drawer and moved quickly toward the window.

Red opened the door. "Dinner will be in an hour. I hope you find everything to your liking." He was grinning like he knew something she didn't.

Lizzie took a shower and got dressed in jeans and a camisole. She applied a bit of make-up and tied her hair in ponytail. She was trying to make things a little bit more causal; not wanting it to look like she was trying too hard to impress him. Downstairs, she found Red pouring her wine and the table neatly set. Red handed her a glass of red wine as she took her seat.

"Do you like it, Lizzie? It's actually a well-known wine form a vineyard nearby."

"It's really nice, thank you. Red… where are we exactly, and how long will we be staying here?"

"We're near a place called Sabina. It's about an hour's drive from the capital. I took great measures to ensure that we wouldn't be found here, so we will be safe. I chose this place because the Cabal doesn't have the police or government in their pocket in this country. So we are indeed out of the Cabal's reach and off the FBI's radar."

Red was studying her features as he talked. She looked lovely, he thought. He wanted to tuck the hair that had escaped her ponytail in behind her ear. They continued with their easy conversation. He told her tales about the place and how he came to own it. She was starting to relax and he tried to make her forget about what brought them here. He wanted to open another bottle of wine, but after the third yawn from her he suggested that they go rest since he had promised that tomorrow would be an eventful day. He told her that he would show her the rest of the place and the countryside surrounding the property. He retired to his room with a bottle of whiskey and just sat in a chair, thinking. Tomorrow it would begin, he thought. Lizzie had no idea what he had in store for her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for each and every review, it makes my day. This chapter is a long one and I really hope you like. Blacklist season 3 starts tomorrow finally, hope this chapter will make the final hours of waiting a bit better. A want to give a big thanks to my amazing beta Meaghan for all her effort and time. Please be so kind to leave a review and tell me what you think about this chapter. Disclaimer: No I don't own the blacklist or its characters, but if I could I would certainly own Red.**

"Keen, don't do it! Keen! No!" Cooper yelled at her, but Liz pulled the trigger and Tom Connolly fell to his knees in front of her. Suddenly she was all covered in blood. It was dripping from her hands and Red stood in front of her, blood oozing out of his chest wound. "How could you, Lizzie? After all I did to protect you."

She started to panic and rushed to Red's side. He was bleeding out quickly; there was so much blood. "I'm sorry Red, I didn't mean to - I'm so sorry."

"You're not sorry at all - look at me! - you killed your own father." It wasn't Red dying on the floor in front of her anymore, but her father. "You're a murderer!" Red's voice was sharp with accusation.

Lizzie woke with a silent scream. She panted shallowly and realized that she was covered in sweat. Looking down, she was relieved that there was no blood on her hands; they were just clammy with all the sweat given off by her body in its fear. She went to the bathroom to splash some water on her face but decided to take a shower instead, counting on the warm water to calm her down a little.

When she finally arrived downstairs, she was welcomed by the smell of bacon and coffee. Red had his back turned to her, busy with the plates. He must have heard her footsteps, because he turned around.

"Good morning Lizzie, you're just in time. I've made us some breakfast that we can enjoy out on the deck in the back. How did you sleep?" He was all cheery as he puttered around the kitchen.

"Morning. Fine, thanks." She still wasn't feeling much more awake after the shower and she could really go for her first morning coffee right about now.

"Come on, let's go eat so that you can get some coffee in that body of yours." It was like he was reading her mind.

He led her outside to the back deck, where there was a table already set. He put a plate full of bacon and eggs in front of her. She took the coffee from him and immediately took a sip. It was funny how just one sip of coffee could induce such an immediate change. He was smiling at her knowingly. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks Red, this is delicious." She didn't know how to tell him that she didn't have the stomach to eat after her nightmare. She toyed with her food, only taking a bite here and there.

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Red was worried. She had dark circles under her eyes. She didn't eat, she just shove the food from one side of the plate to the other. She was going to need her strength and yet she hadn't ate well last night either. He at first thought it was all the traveling they were doing. He realized now that it was because of what had happened with Connolly. He knew she had nightmares; hell, he had felt her tossing and turning throughout the night in the motel. This morning he could see it in her eyes. He knew how it felt: the same nightmare, over and over again, wrecking with her emotions. He knew she probably had her own version of it, even before adding in the whole running from the FBI thing as well… the night of the fire.

"Lizzie, if you're up for it, I would like to show you the grounds. Maybe we can even go sightseeing this afternoon."

"That would be great, thanks." She really didn't feel like doing anything at all, but Red was looking at her with a concerned expression so she capitulated.

He showed her the rest of the house, pointing out that there was even a piano and a small library. Outside, he showed her the beautiful gardens and the heated pool in the back yard.

"You'll find swimwear in the drawers in your room. Or maybe you could just go without them, you know." He was openly flirting with her, his usual charming self. He gave her a wicked grin and continued. "Maybe I could even give you some breast stroke lessons."

"RED!" Lizzie gasped and shoved him playfully against his shoulder as he chuckled devilishly.

"A man can dream, right?" He went right on flirting with her. He was all playful and relaxed. Lizzie was aware that they'd been doing this cat and mouse dance with all his innuendos over the course of their acquaintance. Still, he had never done it to this extent. She found her heart racing at the idea of them both without clothes, in the warm water of the pool. Yes, she could only dream, right? She knew it was probably just his way of making the situation lighter. Also, he was like this with every beautiful woman in a five-mile radius. She shouldn't take him seriously; she was not about to get her hopes up on something she would never have. Red didn't see her that way. It was only his charming personality getting the better of him just now. He showed her the rest of the ground and explained that there was a hiking trail to the hills behind the house.

"There is a magnificent waterfall there. It's not a big one, but the pool and the area around here is absolutely stunning. I would like to show it all to you sometime soon. Speaking of… I remember this one time in Siberia…."

She just rolled her eyes as he launched into his story. How could he be so calm, as if they were on a vacation, planning sightseeing when she was wanted for murder? How could he be so sure they wouldn't be found here? She thought that they would be moving constantly and be hunted down like animals. She saw a bench underneath a tree and went to sit on it.

"How do you know we're safe here? You're acting like this is a vacation when the FBI or the Cabal could be closing in on us as we speak. Why aren't we planning a strategy to take the Cabal down?"

"Lizzie, you're showing very little faith in a man that's been one the run for the last twenty years. If I may point out, they didn't find me once. The time that Ressler closed in on me is because I let him. You need to remember that this is one of my specialties: making people disappear. I offer certain… let's say, package deals, for one to become invisible. The most difficult part is over. It was just getting us out of the States. As you can recall you know to what extreme measures we went to leave no trail. Now the FBI will be hunting ghosts. They have no idea where we are. Hell, they don't even know that we've left the country. Have a little faith in me, Lizzie. After all, this is one of the things I'm good at."

He was standing in front of her, looking down at her as if everything were that simple. Although she did believe that if Raymond Reddington didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be found. She was going to need to trust him on this.

"What about the Cabal, how are we going to take them down?" She still wanted to act like an FBI agent; wanted to do what was right.

"While you were busy being mad at me, as per usual, I met with a group of journalists. I explained everything there is to know about the Cabal and gave them the files from the Fulcrum. I bet they're busy unraveling the Cabal as we speak. The papers will be full of the big shots and all of their dirty laundry. They'll be focusing on damage control at the moment, and for quite a while to come."

She had to give it to him: that was a smart move. There are few people that want to get to the bottom of a story like a journalist, and what better way to expose the members of the Cabal than to let journalists loose on them. She still felt that she wanted to help in some way instead of being helpless and uninvolved.

"What can I do to help?" she asked quietly.

"Well Lizzie, at the moment we just need the Cabal to scramble around trying to get the situation under control. I foresee that there's going to be certain key moves they're going to make, but until then it's not our part to play yet."

He came to sit next to her on the bench. Their knees were touching and Liz wasn't sure why, but being this close to him, and him finally giving her some answers to her questions, felt good. Maybe this was a good time to find out about the night of the fire… maybe even about her mom.

"Red, where is my mother?"

"Lizzie, I don't know." He was chewing the inside of his cheek and looked irritated by the question.

"Don't lie to me, you knew her, I know you did. You were there the night of the fire and I still don't know why. Why where you there in the first place?"

"I'm not going to endanger you any further by giving you details that you don't need to know. Just because you now know about the Fulcrum and the fire, doesn't mean you need to know everything." He was clearly irritated now.

"I have a right to know what happened to my mother - what happened that night!" She suddenly realized that she was almost yelling now.

Red stood up and looked down at her, his face blank and cold. "Stop with the questions now, Lizzie. I will give you answers when you need them. Believe it or not, but I've got your best interest at heart. I thought you might have realized that by now, and trusted me after everything we have been through. There are always reasons for everything that I do, say, and reveal."

He turned away and walked back towards the house, leaving her there on the bench with a sea of unanswered questions. She was mad at him but she also felt ashamed. He had offered everything up for her. He had blocked her memory to spare her from pain and years of self-loathing and regret. He had done it for her and not for himself. Maybe she should just give it time. She was not a patient person, but she felt that she owed him that much after everything he had done for her.

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Why did she always have to ruin the mood? Why did she ask all these questions when she knew that he couldn't give her any answers without putting her life at risk? Red dropped down onto the chair with a sigh, placing his fedora on the coffee table next to him. If Lizzie was not going to drop the questions and trust in him completely, there was no chance in hell for the two of them. He wanted so badly to put her mind at ease even though he knew it would hurt and confuse her more. If only she would trust him with the past: his reasons for showing up in her life, for choosing her. Sadly the truth wasn't an option now. He wanted to make it better, but he couldn't do it in the way that she wanted. Maybe he should take her out tonight... Yes, that's what he would do. He would take her out and make her forget all about what brought them here. He just wanted her to live in the moment of peace they have, with him beside her. Yes, that sounded like a good plan

Later, when she showed up while he was preparing them a salad, he thought that she looked calmer.

"Lizzie?" He was chewing the inside of his cheek again. Why was he nervous? He was never this nervous before when asking a woman out. Maybe it was because he didn't even need to ask with other women he had been interested in before. Who was he kidding? This was the only woman he would walk to the moon and back for just to see a smile on her face.

"Yes, Red?" She looked up from the salad that he had handed her, and found him staring at her.

"Will you go to dinner with me, tonight? Not because you need to but because I hope that you will want to."

She was silent and simply looked at Red. She was clearly surprised by his question. The seconds passed, but for Red it felt like hours. He was just about to tell her to never mind when she suddenly answered.

"Yes." It came out of her mouth plainly and simply. She looked surprised at her own answer. Red gave her the best smile that he could manage. Now his courting could begin in earnest.

"Splendid! Let's say I meet you down here at seven PM." He got up and put his dishes away before he went up the stairs. He looked over his shoulder before mounting the first step. "Oh, and Lizzie? The dress code is formal," he grinned, and walked up the stairs without waiting for her reaction.

It was 6:45 and he was already waiting downstairs for her, dressed in a black three-piece suit. He was pacing up and down the living room when he decided to pour himself some whiskey. He was just taking the last sip of his drink when she walked down the stairs. He almost choked on the liquid when his eyes landed on her form. He placed the glass down with a thump as he got up to meet her at the bottom of the stairs. She was absolutely beautiful; there were no other words he could use. He felt his heartbeat quicken when he was finally able to take her all in. She was wearing a black strapless dress, with silver sparkles on the bodice that trailed off as they came closer to the hem of the dress. The slit on the side of the dress was quite higher than he imagined it to be when he had picked out the dress - not that he was complaining, because he could see part of her creamy leg as she walked down the stairs. When she got to the bottom of the stairs and came to a halt in front of him, all he could say was: "wow." She blushed and looked down, avoiding eye contact. This gave him the chance to admire the rest of her beauty. Her hair was up and there were loose curls here and there. The dress hugged her in all the right ways and he could see the swells of her breasts lifted in the dress… showing him just enough to want more. If he were honest with himself, as stunning as she looked in this dress in this moment, there was nothing he wanted more than to get her out of it.

"Lizzie you look absolutely stunning." He rolled his tongue in his mouth. He noticed how she noticed it, staring at his mouth. Well, this was starting off much better than he could have hoped for.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Red." She smiled as she met his eyes.

"Shall we go then?"

She nodded and he steered her by the arm to a car that was already waiting for them outside.

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The car stopped and the driver came around and got her door. She was trying to gather where they were when Red offered his arm. She smiled at him and took it as they walked through a hotel by the name of Hotel Splendide Royale's. They went to the elevator and stopped at the seventh floor. Liz hardly noticed the ascent, as the whole time she was extremely aware of Red's clothed shoulder brushing against her bare one. The elevator doors opened onto a restaurant, the interior of which was stylish and elegant. It looked exactly like a place Red would go. The host showed them to their table after Red announce to him his new, false identity for the night. Their table was on the balcony and it gave them a magnificent view of the Vatican Gardens and the Villa Borghese. The view was like nothing she had ever seen before.

"It's breathtaking," she murmured while looking out over the city.

"Yes," his voice was low and made her heart skip a beat. He wasn't looking out over the city but instead he was staring directly at her. His gaze made her warm and she felt herself blush as she realized that he was not talking about her view but about his view. It was an enchanting feeling, knowing that Raymond Reddington found you breathtaking. To be honest, there was nothing she wanted more at the moment than for him to see her as a woman. Not as a duty, a charity case, nor as an object in need of his protection. No, tonight she wanted to be a woman and she wanted that fact to be realized by Raymond Reddington. She wanted it so badly, even though it was just a fantasy.

Red ordered them a bottle of wine, the thought of which was welcome as her mouth was dry and she was nervous. A little bit of wine would surely relax her just a little. He began telling her stories about Rome and Italy, and how he came to learn both French and Italian. She rolled her eyes at all the right times and laughed at all the ridiculous things he had done in the past. She was having a good time and the conversation flowed easily. He took the liberty of ordering for her and this time she did not try to stop him because the menu was in French and Italian and she could not read either. Sometimes it was just nice to trust his taste in things as well.

Their food arrived with a second bottle of wine and she admitted to herself that she was enjoying herself… she was enjoying him. He was so relaxed and at ease; he looked like he owned the world and could get anything he wanted. He probably could, seeing as it was Reddington they were talking about. She took a good look at him while he was busy telling her another story. This man really did know how to dress. The finely tailored three-piece suit and awestruck face when she had walked down the stairs earlier had had her heart all fluttery. He was deadly sexy. The way his voice rumbled made it hard for her to focus on the story he was telling and not simply on the timbre of his voice.

"Lizzie?" He stared at her inquisitively, as if waiting on an answer.

Shit, did she just get so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't heard him ask her something?

"Sorry Red, you were saying?"

"Growing bored of me already, Lizzie? And we haven't even gotten to desert yet." He looked somewhat hurt.

"No, no! I was just thinking about how amazing the food and everything is." She quickly answered. She didn't want him to think that she wasn't enjoying herself.

"Yes, it definitely is. I was asking where you would like to go when you get a chance to see the world."

"Hm, well, I always wanted to go somewhere tropical. Just enjoy the ocean… learn to scuba dive, and enjoy the simple, quiet life."

"Well sweetheart, you never know where this journey might take us." He was staring at her in that way again; that way that made her forget to breathe. She got the feeling that he was not only talking about traveling.

He ordered them desert even though she protested, telling him she simply couldn't take another bite. When she closed her mouth around the first spoonful of creamy chocolate mousse she was glad he had insisted. She couldn't help but let out a soft moan of delight while closing her eyes and savoring the taste. When she opened her eyes she found Red's eyes focused on her. His eyes were dark and he was staring at her in a way that made her feel like he might pounce on her.

He leaned over the table, his eyes on her mouth. Fleeting panic crossed her mind; was he going to kiss her? His hand cupped her cheek and he was staring at her mouth. She was frozen still; she didn't know what to do with this sudden turn of events. He then traced his thumb over the corner of her mouth before leaning back in his chair again. Bringing his thumb, which was smeared with chocolate mousse, to his mouth, he sucked his thumb clean.

"Delicious." He was looking straight into her eyes again.

She was about to pass out because it felt like all the oxygen had just left the room. Had that just happened? He just sucked chocolate mousse off his thumb – chocolate mousse that had just been on her mouth! It was an erotic sight. She wanted to suck his finger into her mouth; to taste him, to feel him, to see his reaction to her forwardness. He had her all hot and bothered now and she really needed to get a grip on herself… but how could she when he was staring at her like she was something he wanted to sink his teeth into? His stare was captivating. If this was what itwas like to be wined and dined by

Raymond Reddington, she could see why the women were throwing themselves at him. This man was indeed a charmer.

Breaking her out of her thoughts, he mentioned that they should probably get going since he wanted to take her for a walk down the streets before it got too late.

They walked down the streets of Rome, meandering slowly. He told her about the history of the place and tales of the people who had lived there. She was laughing at his side, enjoying every moment of the stroll. On a corner there was a man playing a violin, with the case at his feet for tips. She came to a halt and listened to the beautiful music.

"Care for a dance sweetheart?" He was holding out his hand for her to take when she cast her eyes towards him

"What? Here, Red? This is the middle of the sidewalk!" She was trying for a way out, not trusting herself to be that close to him. She might do something foolish. Like, for instance: hope for more… more of this, more of him. Parts of him that she knew she couldn't have.

"This is Rome, sweetheart. But please, only if you let me lead this time," he winked at her, and his eyes were begging for her to say yes.

She took his outstretched hand and he pulled her close to him. He started to sway to the music and she allowed herself to just listen to the beautiful sounds. His hand at her lower back was burning its way through the material and he was so close that she could feel his body heat radiating into her own flesh. He pulled her even closer; his full body length was touching hers now, from shoulders to knees.

She laid her head upon his chest as he closed both arms around her waist. She could smell his aftershave now - it was the expensive kind and it smelled like success and Red. It was intoxication. She was aware of every spot that her body touched against his. She didn't want the song to end… she just wanted to stay like this, in his arms, forever. His breath was hot against her scalp and it sent shivers down her spine. He tensed at that, and lightly pulled away from her body.

"Are you cold, my dear?" He started rubbing his hands from her shoulders, down her arms, and then back up again. He was trying to make her warm, but the truth was that she wasn't cold. His hands felt amazing on her exposed skin and she felt like she was being drugged by his touch.

She looked up at him. "No. I'm fine, thanks." She did not break eye contact this time. She held his own steady gaze with hers. His hands skimmed up her arms to her shoulders, resting there for a second before they moved to her neck. His fingers were a feather light touch slowly drifting upwards until he was cupping her face. It made her want to shiver all over again. She tried to hood her eyes, because as a profiler she knew that he would be able to read the emotions that were swarming her eyes at that very moment. He was staring at her so intensely now that she began to feel uneasy.

"Elizabeth," his voice was lower than she had ever heard it before. It made her feel like she was about to melt. The way he said her name did things to her that couldn't explain in words. His green eyes were dark and intense.

"Elizabeth, I'm going to kiss you now." His eyes were searching hers for an answer or for a protest. He bowed his head down while pulling her face to his. She thought he was going to kiss her… he said he was going to kiss her -! She felt his breath warm against her cheek in front of her ear.

"Tell me stop," his voice sounded strained, like he was fighting a battle with himself. He traced his lips across her cheek. "Please." She didn't know what he was begging for. On the one hand it sounded like he really did want to stop before it was too late and they could never go back, but on the other hand it sounded like he was pleading with her to let him kiss her. She felt like she was floating. Red was touching her and it should feel so wrong, but instead it felt so good. Damn, it does and she wants him too. She knew it was wrong on so many levels and that this shouldn't happen, but she wanted it. She wanted him… she wanted him to kiss her.

She lifted her chin, staring into his eyes and then dropping her gaze to his mouth. Before she could get second thoughts, his lips were on hers. His kiss was soft and gentle; nothing like she had imagined during all of those nights fantasizing about this moment. It was like he was trying to win her over. His lips were incredibly soft and when his tongue traced her bottom lip she quickly granted him access. He deepened the kiss and pulled her body towards his. One of his hands moved to the back of her head, keeping her in place, while the other moved down her back to her waist, pulling her to him.

Her hands were moving, finally grasping onto his shoulders. When his tongue touched hers, she couldn't control the soft moan that escaped her mouth. He was an excellent kisser. She felt like she was drowning and he was her only lifeline. If this was what it felt like to kiss him, how would it feel to make love to him? She never wanted this kiss to stop. She barely kept her sound of protest to herself when he finally broke the kiss. She was left holding on to him for dear life… she felt like her knees weren't working properly anymore.

"You, Elizabeth, will be the death of me." His eyes were dark with arousal and his voice was a low, throaty growl.


	5. Chapter 5

**Things are beginning to get real interesting now, lots of fluff and a bit of smut. I hope you enjoy the chapter as much as I did writing it. Thank you so much for all the reviews and follows, you're the best. Be so kind and leave me a review and tell me what you think about this chapter. Big thanks to my lovely beta Meaghan for all her patience and hard work. Disclaimer: I don't own the Blacklist or the characters.**

What just happened? Liz sank onto her bed still fully dressed. Her mind was foggy and she didn't know if what happened was real. They were laughing over fine wine and food. Then they were walking the streets of Rome and then she was in his arms. They were dancing to a street player's violin as if it were some kind of fairytale. His lips were on hers and it felt like she never wanted it to stop. Raymond Reddington had kissed her. Yes, she wanted it, but she was scared and had her doubts. She knew it was probably a bad idea for the two of them to get involved, but the way his lips felt against hers… there was nothing in the world that felt more right. If she was going to be on the run and be a criminal, she might as well act like it and take what she wanted. And she wanted him.

After the kiss he had looked her so deep in the eyes she could swear he could see her soul. She had had trouble getting her breathing under control and standing upright. She was still clinging to him when he took her hand and walked her to where a car waited for them. He was quiet on their way back to the house. He opened her car door for her and walked her to her bedroom door; his hand on her lower back, guiding her. She thought that he would kiss her goodnight, but he only took her hand and lifted it to his lips. Kissing it, he muttered goodnight.

She didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed. Now, sitting on her bed with him just down the hall, everything seemed different. If he had kissed her at her door she didn't know if she could have controlled herself. She hadn't stopped him when he had pleaded with her to stop him; no, instead she had willingly offered her lips to him. If he had kissed her just now, would it have stayed at kissing? Or would they have soon stumbled towards her bed? The way he had looked into her eyes just now, when he had kissed her hand bidding her goodnight... it was a silent promise. A promise of more; that this would only be the start. She could read it in his eyes.

Red leaned against the shower wall. The water was freezing cold against his skin, but he needed it. Hell, it was that or he needed to give himself some relief. The more he tried not to think about it, the more he thought about it: her body pressed flush against his, her mouth so hot and wet against his. He wondered if that was the only part of her that was that way during the kiss. He could still hear her moan; like music to his ears. It took everything he had not to take her then and there. She had ruined him. There would never be anyonelike her ever again. No kiss could make him feel like that ever again, except hers. When they reached her bedroom he was doing everything in his power to suppress the urge to press her against that door and take her. He wanted to ruin her like she had ruined him.

She wakes covered in sweat again. This time, however, it was from a different dream. She dreamt that she was sitting on the kitchen table and Red was kneeling between her legs, busy driving her to ecstasy. She was frustrated and decided to go for a run to clear her head. Red had said that there were hiking trails. She dressed and found Red sitting at that kitchen table. Her mind drifted to her dream and how good it felt to have him that close. She quickly banished the thought and gathered her composure. She didn't know how he would be this morning, after what happened yesterday night. He lifted his head as she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning well I hope?" He was smiling at her.

"Morning. I'm going for a run." She couldn't quite look him in the eye. Her dream was too fresh in her mind.

He only nodded and surprised her by not issuing any warnings or rules.

She ran the trail at the back of the house. She ran until her lungs were burning; burning away the images of Red nestled between her legs. She really did need to get a hold of herself. She was acting like a teenager with a crush. She was a grown woman for goodness' sake.

When she got back, Red wasn't in the kitchen anymore. On her way to her room she heard his voice coming from the study. He was on the phone with someone. She took a shower and went downstairs to find herself some breakfast. Red walked back into the kitchen and she could feel his presence even before she saw him.

"I made a fruit salad earlier; thought you might like it."

He opened the fridge and handed her a bowl and a spoon. He sat opposite her and watched her eat. He wondered how she would taste if he were to kiss her right now. He could imagine the fruity taste of the strawberries and kiwi lingering on her tongue. He reminded himself that he was going to take this slow, to have her get used to the idea of 'them'. He didn't want to scare her away; she was too quiet already.

"So what do you want to do today, Lizzie?"

When she didn't answer him he continued, "I was thinking maybe we could go on a little sightseeing today. We could visit the well-known monuments and even go to a wine and olive tasting if you would like. If you would like we-"

"Red, can we just stay here for today?" She cut him off, looking unsure of herself.

"Well if that's what you want, then of course we can stay here."

This changed his plans he had to woo her in the city of love. There was loads to do here at the house, but his heart sank a little. Maybe she just needed a little time to adjust to everything that was happening. He decided to give her a little time on her own, so he got up and walked towards the study.

Red did have business to attend to, but he found it hard to concentrate. He was thinking about her. About his Lizzie. It was late afternoon when he heard a splash. His head shot up from the map he was busy studying. When he arrived outside, he saw her swimming lengths in the pool. He decided to give her a few more minutes to herself and went to make them some drinks. He decided on a mojito for her and a gin and tonic for himself.

When he returned to the pool, she was just getting out. He stopped dead in his tracks. Her hair was wet and wild, with her whole body covered in tiny drops of water. She had a black bikini on that he had picked from a catalogue just for her. He had fantasized about seeing her in it and having his way with her in the pool. He had never thought that he would ever have the pleasure of actually seeing her in it. It wasn't covering much; he could see so much skin.

First his eyes were drawn to her legs. It seemed that they went on forever and he couldn't help feasting on the view that was right in front of him. As his eyes drifted upwards to her chest he could feel his pants getting a little too tight. He was short of breath and it wouldn't surprise him if he was drooling. She looked like something from a men's magazine; something fantasies were made of.

She walked up to him."Is that mine?" She was pointing at the drink in his hand. "You have no idea how thirsty I am. Thanks," she said as she took the drink from him.

He was still staring and his heartbeat was not under control yet. He smiled slowly to avoid looking sheepish. "Yes, just for you dear." He didn't know what to say; to be honest, he was totally speechless.

She took a sip from the drink and put it on the table next to the pool's tanning chair. She turned around to grab a towel behind her.

Oh hell, now he had a perfect view of her stunning ass. His cock twitched at the sight of her perfectly formed ass. He wanted to lick the water from its curves, or squeeze it in his hands. He couldn't quite decide which he wanted to do more. He needed to fight the urge to pull her flush against him so that she could feel what she was doing to him in that little bikini.

She wrapped the towel around herself and took up her drink again. He didn't know if he should be glad or disappointed. It did, however, bring his senses back.

"You must be starving. What do you say I cook us a lovely dinner?" He needed to regain his control and he wouldn't find it here with only a towel standing between him and having her amazing body against his.

"That would be nice." She was blushing as she replied.

Only then did she notice how little she had on. Maybe she only noticed because she saw him undressing her with his eyes.

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She was freshly showered and had put on a pair of skinny jeans. She was looking through her closet; she couldn't decide what to wear. Why was she having trouble deciding? It was quite simple if she were honest with herself: she wanted to look good for him. She wanted to impress him. Just earlier she had achieved precisely that. The way he was looking at her when she got out of that swimming pool… that heated stare. She couldn't decide if he had been making love to her with his eyes or taking her rough and fast over the table next to her. He hadn't even tried to hide the heat in his eyes, it had been pure lust. It made her heart race and she couldn't believe she had acted so cool and calm… well, except for the blushing part.

When she finally finished and came downstairs, she was stunned. There was a soft glow to the dining room from flickering candles. The table was neatly set and the smell of food was tickling at her nostrils, making her stomach aware that it had been a while since her last meal. It smelled delicious and she couldn't wait to take the first bite when she saw the barbecued ribs, Greek salad, and vegetables in the middle of the dining room table.

Red entered the room with a bottle of red wine in one hand. He was dressed in black pants and a black dress shirt that was rolled up to his elbows. It was then that her mouth truly began to water. He looked good enough to eat and she felt her heart flutter. He smiled one of the most handsome smiles she had ever seen.

"Ah Lizzie, you are just in time. The food just got out of the oven."

He arrived right in front of her. "May I say, you look lovely…"

He took the glasses and poured them each a glass of wine. He faced her again, handing her a glass. He was in her personal space and she could see the specks in his green eyes. His cologne filled her nostrils and she filed the smell away in her memory. As he handed her the glass their fingers touched and the chemistry was overwhelming. His fingers lingered on hers and she felt a chill run down her spine at his touch. She looked up from where their fingers were still touching to meet his gaze again. It was warm and made her feel special, wanted, and cared for, and it made her feel like she was home.

"Shall we dig in?" He asked while returning to his seat opposite from her.

She nodded and took her seat. It was only then that she noticed the vase of flowers in the middle of the table. Did Red buy her flowers? Well, technically they weren't for her, they were for the dining table, but still… it was the thought that counted, right?

This was a completely romantic setting. There was nothing platonic about it. Not the flowers, the soft music that played in the background, the wine or his smile. Especially not his smile. There was an edge to his smile that was warm and honest… open. He looked at her like she had all of his attention. He looked at her like he was waiting for her to approve.

She took her first bite of the ribs. The meat melted on her tongue, so soft and tenderly cooked it was. It was simply delicious. He still didn't touch his food but stared at her, waiting.

"Well Red you've sure outdone yourself. I didn't know you cooked, not like this anyway." She gave him the warmest smile that she could manage.

To be honest if felt amazing to have Red cook for her, going through all this trouble. It made her feel special and she had this warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

"Well sweetheart, there's a lot you still need to learn about me." He was open and honest with his reply.

It sounded like an invitation. She was struck with the feeling of hope again. Maybe he was going to let her in. Maybe they could have a chance. She wanted to be close to him, to understand him, to know why he is who he is… why he is Red. She had a feeling this side of him that he was revealing to her was Raymond and not Red; the man, not the criminal. She wanted to know him so badly… she desperately wanted to unravel this man. She wanted to get to know what made him laugh and what scared him. She wanted to know his secrets and his desires.

"Thank you for all of this… it's lovely." She smiled and took another bite.

They continued to eat in silence until he got up to fill her wine glass for the second time.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" She looked at him, barely holding back her smile.

"I can assure you Lizzie, that's not my style. Although I might want to get a peep at a completely relaxed and overjoyed Lizzie, " he stated with a composed voice.

"Then what is your style?" She almost covered her own mouth; the words had slipped out before she could stop them.

Red gave a throaty laugh that seemed to rumble through her whole body. It was a beautiful sound and she wanted to hear more of it.

"Well, for starters, a woman's consent. Besides that, would you really want to know what my style is?" He asked slyly, watching her for a reaction.

"Well I did kick the hornet's nest so you might as well tell me..." She gazed at him challengingly, suddenly regaining her confidence.

"I don't think you would be able to handle it Elizabeth..." he smiled cockily, one brow curved up. His voice drop an octave or two.

She felt herself shiver at the use of her full name. It was the way he said it that made her glad that she was sitting. It sounded like honey dripping off of his tongue.

She didn't know what to say. What could she reply with that wouldn't come off as an invitation to test it out on her? So she chose to simply keep his gaze and then managed a wicked smile.

He stood up and slowly walked over to her. He looked like a lion with his prey in sight who was moving in for the kill. Come to think of it, Red was indeed very much like a lion. He was brave and was looked up to by the rest of the animals… or should she say criminals. He had her in his sight now, all alone… no FBI herd to protect her from his true intentions. She wondered if he would make her his lioness or leave nothing of her besides small bits and pieces that could never be made whole again… she wondered if he played with his food...

He stood in front of her and held out his hand. A cocky smile still played on his lips. She looked at him unsurely. She gave up or rather – she admitted to herself – she gave in. She gave in to her curiosity to find out what Raymond Reddington's style was. She wanted to be the target of that hunter vibe he had going. She wanted to be the target of that heated gaze.

She took his hand and stood in front of him. He pulled her flush against his body. She could feel the buttons of his dress shirt pressing against her skin. His arms came to rest at her waist. The hair on his forearms tickled her and sent a lovely sensation through her. He bowed his head toward her and she prepared herself to feel his lips brush against hers, but was disappointed when he brushed his mouth from her cheek to her ear. The disappointment only lasted a second because the feeling of his hot breath against her ear shot straight down to her core.

"What about I show you instead," he purred into her ear.

His hands moved under the hem of her blouse and soon she felt his warm fingers on her tender flesh. He moved his hands from her waist to her lower back. Oh, he had amazing hands. They were big and strong and she couldn't wait to feel what else he could do to her with them. She tried to control her breathing, realizing it was coming out in low, sharp intakes. He was drawing circles with his fingers on her lower back when he suddenly pulled her earlobe into his mouth, first biting it and then soothing it with the stroke of his wet warm tongue. She couldn't help the soft moan that escaped her mouth. She felt dizzy from all of the sexual tension rising up in her.

She felt rather than heard him chuckle against her ear. He was smug about her reaction, the bastard. It wasn't her fault that he was this handsome, had an incredible voice that made her go week at the knees… even just the way he held himself was enough.. She wasn't strong enough to resist him. She wanted him; she wanted him to have her in all the ways he could think of. She wanted to make his fantasies seem tame compared to hers. She just wanted all of him. Now.

He moved his mouth along her jawline torturously slow. His breath was hot against her skin. Slowly, tentatively, he pressed his lips to hers. His hands were moving up to her shoulder blades, pulling her even closer to him so that there was no air between their bodies. His lips moved slowly against hers in a dance older than time. His tongue traced her bottom lip and upon her soundless sigh she gave him entrance. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, tracing every inch. She snuck her tongue into his mouth, trying to map him. Soon they were in a battle for dominance. She was sneaking her arms up his chest, gripping at his shirt. He bit her bottom lip and sooth it by sucking on it lightly immediately afterwards. She didn't even try to suppress the moan that escaped her mouth.

He only wanted to show her the physical attraction they had. He wanted to show her the chemistry they shared… only wanted to make her aware of it. Now with her tongue hot and wet against his and his hands against her warm skin he couldn't control himself. He wanted more, he needed more. He moved his hands to her sides, slowly moving them up while he broke their kiss to move his mouth down to her neck. He nibbled on the flesh he found at her pulse point and then licked and sucked it until he had her making small noises against him.

His hands were at the side of her breasts, stroking the flesh right on the edges. He knew that this would make her mad with anticipation so he took his time. The moment his hands came up to cup her breasts, and he bit the flesh at her neck a bit harder than before, she gave a low moan. It shot straight through to his groin and he was rock hard in an instant. He kneaded her through the lace of her bra. Luckily it wasn't much of a barrier; he could feel her nipples growing hard at his touch. He pinched one nipple with his fingers and he felt her fingernails digging into his shoulders. He liked it. He liked it very much.

He liked the idea that she was going to leave a mark on him and he wanted to leave his mark on her as well. He sucked the piece of flesh where her shoulder met her neck. He sucked until he was sure it would leave a bruise. She was surely going to be mad at him if she looked in the mirror the next morning. She dragged his lips back to hers, anxious to feel his lips against hers again.

The passion was so strong that he was losing control. This should really only be a kiss, but the only thing that he could think about was to get her out of those clothes. He wanted to feel her naked body pressed against his own. He wanted to feast his eyes on her naked body. When they parted, in desperate need of oxygen, he knew that he needed to stop this here, before there was no going back.

"Elizabeth," his voice sounded full of desire and it made her aware of her own arousal. She looked into his eyes and found his almost black. He was just as affected by their kiss as she was.

"Red?"


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is a bit different from the rest. Just bear with me guys, I promise it will be worth it! Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews, you're the best. Thanks for all the follows and favorites as well. I big thank you to my amazing beta Meaghan for all your hard work. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please be so kind to let me know what you think in a review. Disclaimer: No I don't own The Blacklist or the Characters…but I sure like to use them for my Lizzington shipper imagination.**

She was staring up at him, her eyes full of desire. He was mesmerized by it; never did he ever think that Elizabeth Keen would look at him in that way. He never dared to hope that she would, but oh… he did dream of it. This wasn't a dream; this was reality, and she was looking at him like that. There was no mistaking it. She desired him as well.

He took a minute to think. Was this only a physical attraction for her? His heart wished that she felt more. He wished that that look of desire could be paired with adoration… love, even. He realized he was already in too deep. Like a moth to a flame, he couldn't help himself - not when it came to her. He also knew that one night of passion would never be enough for him. He needed all of her, each moment of every day. His heart wouldn't survive if they shared a night as lovers and when morning came they never spoke of it again. More than anything, he was afraid of rejection. If she didn't share the same dreams… feelings… what would be left of him?

He realized he had been quiet for too long. He needed to stay to the plan and win her over, but that would take time. He took a second to compose himself and then he lifted his hands and cradled her face between them. Moving his mouth to her ear he could hear her sharp intake of breath. His fingers were light as feathers against her cheeks and neck.

"That, Lizzie, is my style," he whispered into her ear, slowly moving his face to gaze into her eyes again, with a grin on his face.

His hands had her distracted and she barely even registered what he said. Slowly it sank in. Was he playing with her, or just trying to prove a point? She didn't know, but when she met his gaze, his eyes were full of want and something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Her eyes fell to his mouth again. She wanted to kiss him so badly, to continue what they started. Before she could act, however, he backed away from her. She immediately felt the loss of his warmth.

"Join me for a night cap, would you?" His voice was low and full of promise.

How could she resist? She couldn't, so she simply nodded. She would never be able to tell this man 'no'.

He moved towards the sitting room and she followed close behind him. He took a seat on the comfortable, leather loveseat. Her eyes quickly scanned the room to make a decision on where she should sit. Well, they did just kiss, so it would be foolish to sit anywhere else but beside him, right? She took the seat next to him, sinking into the soft leather of the couch.

He leaned towards the table at the side of the couch and quietly poured them two fingers of scotch. He handed her her glass, purposefully grazing her hand with his as he did. It sent a shiver down her spine. She could tell that he noticed the effect he had on her because he was grinning that wicked grin again. Was she that transparent? Could he see the feelings that she harbored for him; the effects that kiss had on her body? A blush started to creep up her neck and onto her cheeks.

"You know, you're truly beautiful when you blush like that," his voice was soft and honest.

She felt herself blush more fiercely now. She was struggling to hold his gaze because it looked like he was staring right into her soul. She dropped her gaze to her hands, busying them with her glass. She took a long sip of the scotch, enjoying the smooth burn going down her throat.

"Lizzie, things are going to be a lot different than you're used to. You will have time for yourself here. To work through what happened. You will be able to find yourself again. I intend to make things as easy for you as I possibly can and keep you safe for as long as is necessary. You're still in danger right now and I want you to remember that and act accordingly." His voice was even and he stared at her solemnly.

"Why are you telling me this?" Her voice was soft as she studied his face to get some kind of answer from his bearing.

"Because I will be leaving to conduct some business tomorrow," he stated honestly.

"You're leaving?" Her voice came out with more panic in it than she wanted it to. It also didn't sound like a question. It was more like an accusation. Her body had stiffened and she felt uneasy. Why would he leave her now, just like that? How long would he be gone? Would he be coming back? Why couldn't she go with him? The questions were streaming through her brain in a rush.

He seemed to notice her panic and he slowly shifted his body so that he was facing her. He reached out and took one of her hands so that he could comfort her. She let him take her hand without a fight.

"I will only be gone for two nights tops, sweetheart. I need to go see a contact about information on the Cabal that could prove to be useful in this little war we are fighting." His voice was calm and it made her relax a little more.

"Why can't I come with you?" It was out before she could stop herself.

Red chuckled and it was a beautiful sound that filled her insides with warmth.

"Are you afraid that you'll miss me, sweetheart?" His voice was playful and he gave her hand a squeeze.

He was calling her' sweetheart' again and she couldn't help the way her heart fluttered each time he called her that. He had her trapped… she had trapped herself. How was she going to answer his question without him knowing that she was lying if she chose to deny it? Well, it was either that, or she needed to tell him that she was used to him being near the last couple of days, and that she didn't want to be without him. That would be entirely too honest and his ego didn't need to get any bigger. He didn't need to know how she felt about him, and missing him involved a strong feeling that she was not yet ready to explain to him.

"I could join you… I could be of help, maybe." She tried to avoid his question by making sure he didn't leave her here all alone.

He simply grinned and shifted closer to her." I asked: are you afraid of missing me, sweetheart?" His voice had dipped lower again and his fingers were slowly drawing a pattern on her palm, just shy of her scar.

His touch felt so good… it was hypnotizing. She didn't answer him; only stared into his eyes in bewilderment. The slightest touch from this man made her want to sigh in contentment. She tried to think of a quick, possible answer or a question that would divert him from the current question that was hanging in the air. She couldn't think of anything; opening and closing her mouth seemed to be all she could do. She knew him. He would keep on bugging her about this so she resorted to a lie instead.

"No." Her voice was stern, but she couldn't quite meet his eyes.

He chuckled and took the drink from her hand, placing the almost empty glass on the table. Before she could utter another word, he grabbed her by the knees and pulled her onto his lap. She gasped in surprise, her eyes wide in shock. He placed one hand at the back of her neck, slowly massaging the tense muscles under his fingers. He turned her face so that she was looking him straight in the eyes. She could see that he was searching her face and eyes for the truth.

"Don't lie to me, Lizzie." His look was playful but with a hint of seriousness underneath.

He brought his mouth to her neck and placed slow, soft kisses at her pulse. Then he moved up to the spot just behind her ear, nibbling and biting at the tender flesh there before he sucked hard.

She let out a low moan. He had found her weak spot. He was surely going to leave a mark, but the thought didn't bother her in the least. She held onto his shoulders as he continued the onslaught on her neck. One of his hands was in her hair and the other was placed on her thigh, and she was acutely aware of both of them.

"So you won't be missing that?" He whispered in her ear.

Moving his mouth to her lips, he kissed her hard and almost desperately, his tongue not waiting for entrance. Instead he just pushed his way inside and swept her mouth with his powerful tongue. He pulled her bottom lip between his and sucked hard on it, making her moan into his mouth. Way too soon he pulled back and gazed into her stormy eyes.

"Tell me you won't be longing for me to kiss you like that…"

His voice was so low and sexy; it made her lose all sense of control. She placed her hands behind his neck, pulling him towards her. She kissed him, then. She kissed him slowly, tracing her tongue against his bottom lip, before deepening the kiss. She softly dragged her nails over his short hair, making him moan into her mouth. They kissed until they were both out of breath. Finally pulling back, he rested his forehead against hers, their breaths warm against each other's faces.

"I'll take that as a yes," he grinned at her, his eyes full of passion.

She nodded with a blush and a shy smile played on her face.

"Will you miss me too?" She asked shyly, searching his eyes for emotion.

"Sweetheart… every second." He placed a soft, tender kiss on her lips. "So much so that I don't dare take this further. I can't imagine spending a night with you in my arms, only to leave you in the morning. I don't think I would be able to handle that."

She felt desire burn through her at his words. Spending the night with Raymond Reddington, in his bed, as lovers… She wanted to explore the passion and chemistry they shared and she knew that her life would never be the same after sharing his bed. She wanted to give in to this feeling. She wanted to lose herself with him. She wanted to come with his name on her lips…

She expected to see desire in his eyes but was surprised when she found that his look was full of adoration instead. Yes, the desire was there, but it was only a small flame hidden behind the other emotion. Something had shifted; something had changed.

It was her admission of the truth that she would miss him when he left; it was her kissing him in earnest. His words 'every second' made her heart melt and she couldn't help but hope. His words also held a promise to her of there being something more for them when he came back. Perhaps they would have a night together. She just hoped that it wouldn't be only one night, because she didn't think that she was strong enough to only share a single night of passion with him when her heart longed for a lifetime by his side.

They finished their drinks while he told her about the upcoming meeting, explaining the purpose and the reason for going alone. During the whole conversation, he had his arm draped around her shoulder, tracing meaningless patterns over her exposed skin. They talked and talked, then just sat in each other's embrace. Neither of them wanted to call it a night. Finally, he walked her to her room and pulled her in for a long, slow kiss.

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBBLBLBLBLBL

Lizzie awoke to an empty house. She went for her morning run and then took a shower. She entered the kitchen half expecting Red to be standing there dishing out breakfast. It felt strange to not have him there; it was, after all, his house. She made herself some toast and coffee and then decided to read for a while. She found his taste in authors and poets impeccable. Lying on the couch, reading, then taking a swim later, the day went by too slowly.

She was missing him already and it was only the first afternoon. She couldn't help but think of what he would be like when he got back, how they would be, together. There had been this ease between them yesterday night; there had been casual touching and talking. She had been getting to know a different side of Red since they'd been on the run. She could laugh with ease at his stories and just relax with him. She didn't allow herself that when she was working with him at the post office. She'd always had to have her guard up. Now she could enjoy his company, and enjoy him for the man that he is. She liked this side of him: the gentleman, the romantic, the man. It had only been a few days, but this seemingly slow time they had together away from work, it changed everything. It exposed her feelings towards him for herself to see and realize. She couldn't wait for him to get back. He said that he would bring her a present. He had also promised sightseeing together in Rome. She wanted to explore everything with him. She was ready to give into her feelings for him. She felt nervous; after all, this was the number four on the FBI's Most Wanted list that she was daydreaming about. Oh gosh, she was behaving like a teenager with a crush…

The day went by slowly and she caught herself thinking about him the majority of the time.

The next morning she decided to go into town. She wanted have something to give to Red as well. She thought of preparing a nice dinner when he got home, but with her cooking skills he would probably be better off without any food at all. She thought about a fedora or a tie, but Red had such specific taste that she didn't think a gift like that would work. Then, strolling by a cigar shop, she realized a cigar would be perfect. It was something small, so he wouldn't be able to read too much into the gesture. It would suffice as a simple 'thank you' for everything he had done for her so far.

She realized she never really did thank him properly. She grabbed the purse and gun Red gave her the night before. It wasn't that she needed the purse for shopping.. It was more of a 'if anything happens' kind of runaway purse. The handgun was small and easily fit in the holster at the small of her back. She bought a silver box of Cuban cigars hoping that Red would like them. She was nervous about that… and about everything. She thought of what she was going to wear the next day when he arrived back home.

She was strolling down the street of cafés and shops when someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a nearby alley. It happened so fast that she was taken by complete surprise. The man pushed her against the alley's wall roughly, covering her mouth. She was trying so hard to get out of his hold that she didn't really look at the man, but she certainly went limp with dread when his voice filled her ears.

"Liz, try to stay calm. We don't want to draw unnecessary attention." His voice was straight out of one of her nightmares.

Tom. Jacob. Whoever the fuck he was.

She stood still, but anger quickly rose up in her.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?" She asked with an irritated voice.

"Wow, what a welcome. I thought you would be happier to see me after our last encounter."

"How did you find me?" She asked again, nervous that the Cabal was probably closing in on her too.

He took her arm, moving his fingers slowly down to her wrist. She wanted to flinch at his touch. He tapped his finger on her watch.

"After you fell asleep on the boat I reckoned it would be smart to have a backup plan should you decide not to leave with me on the boat."

She ripped the watch off, throwing it as hard as she could at the opposite wall just past his head.

"Relax Liz, I'm not here to turn you in, or notify the Cabal, or FBI, or whomever is looking for you. I'm here to give you a second chance."

"Give me a second chance?" She spat out in total astonishment.

"Yes, it's not too late to come with me. We could leave; we could start a new life. I love you Liz."

"You've got to be kidding me. You lied to me the entire duration of us knowing each other." She was nearly shouting in outrage now.

"Liz, what about the night on my boat?" He asked with a smug smile.

"That was a mistake. I was vulnerable and I wasn't thinking clearly."

"I felt our connection, babe."

Tom pushed her back against the wall again, smashing his lips to hers. She struggled with her hands at his shoulders to get him off of her.

"Tom – NO! Get off of me!" She finally shoved him off of her.

"I don't want to go with you, I thought I made that clear when I left you the last time we saw each other. I will never be able to trust you again!"

"But you trust him?" He asked in shock.

"Yes I do" she said before she could even think about it, and she realized that it was the truth. She trusted Red with her life.

"So, what? You're with him now? Is that it?" He asked in a distasteful manner.

"It's not that; he's helping me." She was getting fed up with having to explain herself to this excuse of a man. How could she have ever loved him? She realized that she felt nothing toward him at all anymore. She hadn't for a long time.

"I love you Liz, please just come with me?" He looked at her, seemingly filled with desperation.

"NO, and I'm not going to say this again. You go your own way and I'll go mine." She answered him in a steady, but stern, voice.

"So there's no changing your mind then? Do you even know the type of man that Reddington really is?"

"I'd rather take my chances with him. Now tell me, do I need to worry about you ratting me out? "

Tom sighed as his head fell down and, with disappointment clearly visible in his body language, he answered her. "No Liz, I only came to get you back. I wouldn't do that to you. I think I already did enough. You have my word."

"Thank you." She genuinely meant it, although it was probably the least he could do after everything he had done to her. She believed him. There was a sad smile on his face and he looked defeated.

"I'm sorry things couldn't be different for us Liz. I'm sorry for everything." He looked up at her and gave her a hug before she could pull away.

"Bye Tom," she simply said, and then walked away, leaving him standing in the alley alone.

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Lizzie took a few detours home to make sure she wasn't followed. She was hoping to never ever see Tom again. Hopefully today would be the last time ever. She went to take a shower to wash his scent off of her body. Should she tell Red about Tom's unexpected appearance? She wasn't sure how he would react. She had nothing to do with Tom showing up and she didn't want Red to think she had. She decided against it, though; she didn't want to disturb the delightful peace that she and Red shared.

She slipped into her house robe and went to pour herself a drink. Tomorrow he would be back; he had said he would be gone no longer than two nights. She wondered if he would return in the morning or in the afternoon. Maybe even later, but she hoped that it would be sooner. She was missing him… missing his ridiculous stories, his laugh, his eyes burning through her… his touch. She climbed into her bed that night knowing that tomorrow she would see him.

She woke to a nightmare. Tom was strangling her to death while Red's body lay beside her, already lifeless. Curse the man for showing up.

As she uneasily mulled over her dream, she suddenly shot up straight. Red! She was going to see him today. The nightmare faded away quickly in her excitement to see him. She quickly got up and showered, deciding on skinny jeans and a white blouse. She applied just enough make up to still look natural. She studied herself in the mirror. She looked softer. Somehow the white made her blue eyes even brighter. She hurried downstairs, hoping to find him, but aside from her the house was empty. After a quick breakfast she decided to continue the book that she hadn't finished yesterday. She slouched on the couch and quickly lost herself in the book.

She nearly had a heart attack when the front door slammed shut. She was so deep in her book she didn't even realize hours had passed. She got up, knowing it had to be Red because other invaders would have chosen to stay quiet and would probably not have used the front door. She didn't know if should go to the foyer to greet him or just stay here. She knew Red had to pass her to get to the rest of the house, so she chose to stay put.

Her heart was beating way faster than it should have and she felt nervous and excited at the same time. She turned her body to face the direction he would be coming from. She heard his footsteps come near and she could already feel his presence in the house.

Then, there he was all of a sudden. He noticed her, but walked straight down to his study. He had an angry expression on his face and he was on his cellphone. She heard the study door close while he cursed at the person on the other end of the line.

She stood there, stock still on the spot in bewilderment. He had looked her straight in the eyes but it was a cold look; he hadn't even smiled. What the hell? She didn't know what she had expected… for him to come through the door with a huge bunch of red roses or for him to pull her into his arms and hug her tight, or what, but it certainly wasn't this. Maybe the deal hadn't gone well, or maybe it had to do with the cellphone call. She didn't know what the problem was but she felt her heart sink.

She tried to read further in her book but she found that she couldn't really concentrate on the words in front of her eyes. She just sat there instead and waited for Red to come out of his office. She was about to think he would stay in there forever when she heard the door open. Her heart stopped as she waited for him to come into the room. He entered the room, a frown still on his forehead. He didn't even look at her; he just walked to the scotch and poured himself two fingers. He downed the entire drink and poured himself another. Only then did he turn to look at her. He was looking at her in a way that made her feel uneasy. He didn't look glad to see her at all.

"Elizabeth." His voice was sharp and cold as ice. She wasn't used to this. The corners of his mouth were curling downwards and he looked very unhappy.

"Red." She tried to sound friendly, to lift whatever weird vibe was permeating the room. Smiling at him, she got up and came to stand in front of him.

"Enjoy the time while I was away?" His voice was so cold and impersonal.

"Well, it's been okay I guess. You want something to eat? I can make us some pasta, one of the few things I can actually make without setting the house on fire." She nervously shifted her weight form one foot to the other while waiting for his answer.

"No thank you, I'm not hungry. I have some business to attend to." He poured himself another drink.

"How did the meeting go?" She asked, unsure of herself, hoping that she would find out what the reason was for his strange behavior.

"Fine," he answered over his shoulder as he walked away to his study, shutting the door behind him.

Lizzie sank onto the couch. She felt all of her earlier excitement drain out of her. What had just happened? What went wrong? She wondered if maybe had done something wrong, but she couldn't think of anything. She decided to blame it on either the phone call or the meeting. Maybe he just needed some rest. She was disappointed; she couldn't argue with that, but there was nothing she could do. She went to make dinner and the whole time Red just stayed in his office. She dished him a plate just in case, leaving it covered on the kitchen counter. She then went to her room when it was getting late, deciding that tomorrow would be a new day. She struggled to fall asleep, but when she finally did, nightmares welcomed her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hope you're ready for this. This is what happens my world is when Liz and Red fights. Some of the questions will only be answered in the next chapter. Thank you so much for all the reviews, each one makes writing worth it. Big thanks to my wonderful beta Meaghan for all her help. Please review because I'm dying to know what you think about it. Disclaimer: No I don't own the Blacklist or the characters…but I'm using them for shameless smut.**

She didn't get much sleep that night, so she decided to make her coffee extra strong that morning. She hadn't seen Red yet, but hopefully his mood had improved. She went outside to sit and drink her coffee in the morning sunlight by the pool. When she returned to the kitchen, Red was standing there making himself coffee while speaking on the phone. She placed her mug in the dishwasher behind him.

"What colour are the panties you're wearing right now?" His voice was low and sexy.

At first she froze and her head shot up to look at him, thinking he was talking to her. Then she realized, as he turned and walked to the study, that he was talking to the person on the phone, a woman.

"Why don't you take them off, so that the fun can begin?" His voice sounded from down the hall.

Lizzie felt the blood drain out of her head, out of her body. She slowly made it to the bar stool and sat there just staring at nothing. She felt a sharp ache in her heart, realizing what she had just heard and what it meant. There was someone else. She was overwhelmed by sadness and she was struggling to control the burning sensation in her eyes. She didn't want him to come out of the study and see her cry. That's why he had acted so cold towards her yesterday. Anger overtook the sadness, and she felt it boil in her blood.

The fucking bastard, acting like a gentleman and making her believe that she meant something to him, and then having phone sex with some other skank. It was probably Madeline; she didn't know if that made it easier or harder. Why the hell had she let herself feel for the man? He was clearly not capable of feelings himself. How could she have been so reckless with her heart? Hadn't she learned at all from her past mistakes? What had all the fine wining and dining been about then; had he only wanted to make it clear that he could have her if he wanted to? To inflate his ego further?

She didn't know, but what she did know was that she was not capable of being in the same house as him. She went upstairs, putting on her training clothes. She ran the path at the back of the house; she ran until her lungs were aching, but she didn't stop. She wanted the aching of her lungs to overwhelm the aching that she felt in her heart. She ran and ran until she just sank down onto the nearest rock hours later. Only then did she grant herself the luxury of crying. She knew it was stupid and that it wouldn't change anything, but she couldn't stop the warm tears from running down her cheeks.

She felt humiliated and used. She knew it was her own fault, that it was her own stupid mistake to have developed feelings for the Concierge of Crime. She wanted to get as far away from him as possible, but on the other hand she didn't know if she could survive leaving him. She didn't know if she was strong enough to do so, and furthermore she needed him with this whole 'running away from the law' thing. She knew she probably didn't stand a chance to clear her name without him. She didn't know if she was strong enough to stay here, though, hearing or maybe even watching him with another woman, after what had happened between them. She realized, however, that she didn't really have a choice. She needed to stay here with him. She somehow needed to maintain a business-only relationship with Red, at her heart's expense.

After a shower and a quick lunch by herself, she decided to do her own little investigation. She searched for paper and pen and after finding some she took a seat on the carpet in the small library. She mapped out her own little investigation board on the floor, linking key members from the Cabal to past events, making a timeline for the DNA virus that killed the Senator and everything else that happened that day. She was so caught up in what she was doing that she didn't realize Red was standing in the doorway until he spoke.

"I really do hope that tape doesn't do damage to that carpet. I handpicked it myself in Persia." His voice was controlled but he had a disapproving expression on his face.

She didn't say anything; she just looked up at him from her position on the floor.

"What are you doing? Do you think you can figure out something about the Cabal that we didn't think of before? We went through this already. All of the evidence was planted and we have no way to prove that you were framed at the moment." He sounded irritated.

"Maybe we missed something?" She began, but he cut her off.

"Don't you trust me?" His voice was cold and deadly.

She simply stared up at him and didn't answer. He turned and walked away, leaving her there on the floor with all of her conflicting emotions once again. Being angry and sad at the same time was exhausting so she gave up on trying to make sense of her feelings and just continued with her work.

Later that afternoon her muscles were aching so she decided to go for a swim. First, she did a few laps and then she just drifted, letting the warm water of the heated pool relax her. Unfortunately her peace did not last long, for Red came to sit on the pool chair while on his cellphone again. She was thinking that she was just about ready to make the water boil of anger when he finally said goodbye.

From the bits and pieces she had heard, he was talking to that woman again. He was saying that he'd been missing her and he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into her. Why the hell did he need to disturb her peace to come and conduct what was clearly meant to be a private conversation with her not even five feet away? She tried to be as natural as possible, but the truth was that she was storming out of the swimming pool. She didn't even bother to grab her towel as she walked past Red with his face looking like a cat that had got the canary. To be honest, she wished that she was a cat as well so that she could scratch that smug expression off of his face.

Another two days passed with them barely talking or looking at each other. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. It was absolutely horrible and she didn't know how much more of this she could bear anymore. She was sitting on the couch that afternoon, flipping through the TV channels, when Red came down the stairs. His expression changed to one of surprise, as if he had not expected to find her there.

"So you're still here, then?" He sounded somewhere between irritated and amazed.

"What do you mean 'I'm still here'?" She asked in confusion.

He didn't answer her, but instead he simply stood there and looked at her, so she continued: "Do you want me to leave?" She could hear that her own voice sounded unsteady.

"It's not what I want that matters…"

"Why do you always have to be so cryptic; why can't you just say what you mean and get it done with?" She spat back.

"Well I'm not the one who doesn't want to be here!" His voice was ice-cold and it made rise to her feet.

"What the hell are you talking about? If there's anyone in this house who doesn't want to be here at this moment, it's you! You made that clear enough with your skank calls!" She was mere decibels from shouting. When she realized what she had just said she could've bitten off her own tongue. That wasn't smart at all; now she just sounded jealous.

"I beg your pardon? Skank calls!?" His mouth was only a thin line by this point. She knew that was a sign of him being angry and trying to stay in control at the same time. She had watched him many times with his blacklisters.

"Oh don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about. You didn't exactly seem to hide the fact that her panty colours excited you- no you actually made sure to rub it in my face."

He crossed the room, his body language scaring her. He looked more terrifying than she'd seen him in a long time, and now that anger was directed at her.

"Don't you dare play the jealous card; you have no right to it! At least I'm not the one keeping secrets!" He wasn't shouting but his voice still banged off of the walls.

She just stood there staring at him. Oh hell. He knows. He knows about Tom. She didn't know where to begin explaining; besides, it wasn't a big deal. Before she could try, however, he continued.

"Why the shocked face dear, didn't think I would find out about your little reunion with that ex-husband of yours, did you? Here I thought that you were smarter than that, that you learned from your mistakes, that you knew you deserved better. I was clearly mistaken, so imagine my surprise when I saw the photographs of your heated kiss in that alley. So why are you still here? Why haven't you left with him yet? That was the plan, wasn't it, to leave on that little boat of his?" He sounded betrayed and bitter, his eyes burning holes into hers.

"Red, I can explain… Wait did you have me followed?" She asked in shock.

"Yes of course I did. I needed to know that you were safe at all times. I didn't expect for you to leave the house while I was gone, but I made sure you would be safe if you did."

"Red, it wasn't like that, he…" She tried to steady her voice but he cut her off.

"Don't you dare lie to me. You see, after hearing of your little meeting with Tom I had to call him. Firstly I had to make sure he wasn't about to give away our position. Secondly I wanted to know his reason for showing up, so imagine my surprise when he told me of your plan to run off with him."

"Red, that's not true, it wasn't like that…"

"So you didn't fuck him on that boat?" His voice was unforgiving and harsh.

He studied her face; she looked like had just thrown a bucket of ice water onto her. Serves her right for lying to him! Making him believe they had a future together when she was in fact hoping to screw her ex-husband again. Every time he had seen her these last few days he had been surprised, he thought that she would've been long gone by now. He didn't want to see her anymore, to see what he couldn't have… but today all the anger and hurt just made its way up and he couldn't control or keep it down anymore. He looked at her face again. She still looked shocked but he could tell that the answer was yes, so Tom hadn't been lying on the phone, which meant that the rest was true as well. He felt the pang of betrayal sting in his heart.

"Answer me! God damn it, answer me!" He needed to hear her say it.

"YES!" He heard her voice break over that single word, but it was nothing compared to his heart breaking into millions of pieces. Her eyes were filling up with tears and it made him even madder. She didn't have the right to cry; not while she was the one who had hurt him.

"When Tom told me, I assumed he was lying, because there was no way my Lizzie would run back to the man that betrayed her." His voice was laced with anger and hurt.

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I was confused and you pushed me away." Tears were streaming down her face as she spoke.

"I didn't push you away Lizzie, you chose him!" He studied her body language - she looked so fragile and he just wanted to sweep her up in his arms and make all the hurt go away, but the bastard inside of him was not going to leave this alone so easily.

"Red, I didn't know if I meant anything more to you than the fulcrum. What was I supposed to do? Just trust you, while you were giving me every reason not to? You made this happen. If you had just given me answers or told me that I maybe meant a little bit more to you than just an object to get the fulcrum then I would have never been on that boat." Her voice sounded full of sadness and pain.

"So what, you decided to fuck Tom instead? To feel something again? If I knew how easy it was to get you to spread your legs I would have maybe took that job on myself."

The echo of the slap to the face she gave him bounced off of the walls of the quiet room. He felt the slow, stinging burn spread across his cheek. He had only once seen her this angry before and that was the day she had started throwing things around and stabbed him in the neck. The look she gave him could kill, he was sure of it. He knew he was a complete bastard but he didn't care; he felt betrayed.

"How dare you!" The tone of her voice shocked the hell out of him, but it didn't stop him from continuing.

"Was it worth it? Did he make you get off good?" His voice was filled with poison.

Her second slap was even harder than the first one. She gasped at his words. He only stared at her with dark eyes, staring her down, not letting her get away with this. He didn't flinch at her slap; he wasn't about to give her that satisfaction. Well, now that they were here, he might as well continue because it was clear they weren't going to see each other after this. She would walk away to Tom, never to see him again. So he might as well tell her what she will be missing out on.

"Or couldn't that boy even please you himself; did he even make you make all the noises you've been making when I kiss you?" He realized that his voice sounded jealous even to his own ears, but he didn't care.

He was ready for it when she raised her hand for the third slap - he caught it just shy of his face. He tugged her to his chest in one angry move, so she was flush against his chest. His body was cooking with the heat of anger, but he could feel himself getting aroused by the situation. He captured both of her hands behind her back using only one of his big, strong hands. She was struggling to get out of his grip, but he wasn't going to let her. He brought his mouth to her ear, first softly sucking at the flesh just below it, then biting it and tugging on it hard, making her gasp in a mixture of surprise and pain, while still struggling to get away from him.

"Did he make you make sounds like that?" His voice was low, a mere growl, and made her stop struggling.

Lizzie felt her body press flush against his. She was panting in anger as well as anticipation of his next move and next words. Her chest was heaving against his with each breath. His mouth, warm at her neck, made goosebumps run over her body. She was so mad at him, at his harsh words, but she couldn't help but tremble at his touch. After the days of missing him and not talking it felt like heaven to be in his arms. She hated herself for it… she should be stronger, and he had basically just called her a slut. She struggled against his grip again, trying to break free.

He simply tightened his grip on her body. He moved his free hand up her side and down again, finally resting it on her waist. He moved his mouth to her lips and then he kissed her. It was a brutal kiss; one where he didn't ask for permission, his tongue just plundering her mouth. As soon as she moaned into his mouth he drew his head back and looked into her eyes with lust. She was already missing his mouth on hers, and her body betrayed her as she felt herself lean into his touch even further.

"Did he kiss you like that, or make you moan like that?" His voice was pure lust and it sent a thrill of want right down to her core.

She looked up into his lust-clouded eyes; they were so beautiful and almost completely black with his desire. She was so lost in his eyes and emotion that she couldn't help but to simply answer: "no." The word hung in the air between them. He looked at her so long and with such intensity that she thought that she was going to melt under his gaze. Then, before she had a clue what was happening, he backed her up against the wall with a dull thump. His mouth was on hers as soon as her back made contact with the wall. He ravished her mouth and she let him, seeking out his tongue and moaning when they finally touched. It was a battle for dominance, his tongue dancing against hers like it was his last minute on earth. She was holding onto him for dear life.

He moved his lips down to her neck and started to kiss, bite and lick until she was sure that she would have more than one hickey. His hands at her waist were holding her so tightly that she was sure that that they would leave bruises, but she didn't care… to be honest, she reveled in the thought.

His hands moved up towards the top of her black button-down blouse and he explored all the naked skin that he could find. When it wasn't enough for him he gripped each side or her blouse and ripped it open sending buttons flying everywhere. He tore it further from her body, pushing it down her arms. She was so aroused by this, because to be honest this was how she imagined her first kiss with Raymond Reddington was going to be. She thought that one day they would have an argument and then the emotions would be so high that he would just break and shove her up against a wall, claiming her for himself. That was what he was doing now as his fingers brushed up her sides, his eyes so hot and intense that it made her feel like she was on fire. He stared down at her red-laced bra and she could swear she saw his eyes darken even further. He made a noise which sounded like a grunt.

"It had to be red, huh?" He asked without expecting an answer. Cupping her breast in his palms, he kneaded the soft flesh and she couldn't help but moan. His hand went to the back, finding the clasp of the bra and removing it with one swift flick. She let the straps fall down her shoulders, and then she slowly wiggled out of it.

As the red laced item fell to the ground he couldn't help but stare. He couldn't believe he was seeing her like this. She was so beautiful… more than he could have ever imagined. He was at a total loss for words. He cupped her; she was the perfect size for his hands. She gave a low, sexy moan while she was busy unbuttoning his black dress shirt and he heard a few buttons fall to the ground in her haste to get him out of his clothes. Her moan made him even harder; his pants were way too tight. He grounded his hips against hers and into the wall, making her feel what she was doing to him. He was about to lose control.

His hardness pressed against where she needed him the most and she couldn't help the sound that escaped her lips. This wasn't pretty at all - it was rough and needy. She pushed his shirt down his arms and placed hungry kisses at his neck. She stopped at the scar she gave him that day with the pen. She didn't know why or how but somehow it turned her on even more as she sucked and lapped at it with her tongue. She made a needy sound as he drove his pelvis into hers again while he was tweaking her nipples between his fingers.

He was trailing his mouth down her neck to her breast and she felt feverish with his hot breath against her naked skin. He closed his mouth over her one breast making her gasp while his hand squeezed the other. Her breathing was ragged and she felt like she was going to lose her ability to stand so she hiked up one leg over his thigh. She felt his hardness press against her sweet spot and she could feel, even through his dress pants, that he was big. He chose that precise moment to pull her nipple between his teeth and bite down, keeping it just this side of painful, and she moaned out his nickname 'Red' in please. He pulled her up so that both her legs were now wrapped around his waist and he pushed her body against the wall while he took her mouth for his pleasure once again.

He only drew back just enough to look into her desire-filled eyes.

"You have no idea what feeling good is, Lizzie. I can make you feel like you've never ever felt before. I'll make you feel so good that all of the neighbors would know my name."

Lizzie moaned at his words. His voice was sex to her ears, and now he was talking dirty to her. She felt the lace getter wetter and wetter under her jeans. This man's voice alone could make her get off. He was so sexy, talking dirty to her, and she knew that he was probably right. That he could take her places she's never been before. Hell, she was already being vocal and that was unusual for her. She was on fire and he was the one making her veins heat up.

She felt one of his hands pop the top button of her pants, slowly dragging the zipper down, and she held her breath in anticipation. Slowly, he traced the top of the lace with his fingers. She was beginning to tremble at the feel of him so close. Finally he slid his hand under the lace and then her mind went blank. He cupped her mound and then slowly rubbed one finger between her folds. Oh hell, it was so good… his touch was even better than she had fantasized.

"Fuck Lizzie, you're dripping wet." He growled into her ear.

His words made her even wetter and she moaned against his neck. He deliberately avoided her clit, making her go mad with want. He slipped a finger inside of her and she was lost… lost to the unbelievably good feeling of his long, thick finger inside of her, slowly pumping into her. She wasn't going to last long at this rate and she was sure that he could tell.

"Is this how bad you want me, want this?"

At his words he added a second finger and now she was moaning his name, "Red," out loud. She wanted to make this last as long as she possibly could, because she had never felt this good, but the moment his thumb touched her clit she was gone. The orgasm washed through her in waves; she just clung to his shoulders as ecstasy took her high.

When she regained focus, Red was staring at her with an amazed expression. She watched desire, want, lust, amazement, adoration and something she could not name flash in his eyes. She was panting heavily and coming down from the best orgasm she had ever had.

The way he was looking at her did not help her catch her breath at all. She was overwhelmed with the need to touch him, to feel him.

He was still wearing an undershirt and she wanted to get it off of him as soon as possible. She needed to feel him, to feel his naked chest against hers. She wanted to feel his chest hair - which she had fantasized would tickle against her sensitive skin. She grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head before he could react, but as soon as she did so she felt him stiffen and become completely still. She traced her fingers through his blonde chest hair, relishing the feel of it underneath of her fingers, but there would be time to explore it later; for now she needed him. She took his mouth again with hers, biting his lip until she could almost taste the blood, and grabbing onto his shoulders to pull him even closer to her. That's when she froze; she knew that feeling… that was the feeling of burnt skin.

He slowly regained his senses, seeing her shocked face at the discovery of the burn marks on his back. She hadn't even seen them yet, but he could see on her face that she knew what they meant. He hated himself for not showing her sooner. He should have gotten this over and done with. Honestly, though, he had been afraid… afraid of her reactions and questions.

She slid off of his hips and slowly walked around him to look with her own eyes. He heard her sharp intake of breath. He knew that this moment was over… now everything would change again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Here it is, finally! I apologize for the long wait, but exams had me quite busy. I tried to make up for it by lots and lots of smut ;) So if smut isn't your thing you should probably close this link now. Thank you so much for all the reviews, they truly make my day. I want to thank my wonderful beta Meaghan for making this chapter extra special, you're the best. This is my first time writing smut so please let me know what you think in a review, I would appreciate it so much. Disclaimer: No I don't own the Blacklist or the characters, but I sure think after this Red and Lizzie own each other.**

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She slowly reached out her hand to touch the scars on his shoulders, tracing the patterns. She felt the tears roll down her cheeks even though she was trying her best not to cry. She couldn't control it, because memories were flashing before her eyes. A younger version of Red was pleading with her to come with him, telling her that it wasn't safe, that the fire would hurt her. She was so scared, and she was afraid to move. She could suddenly smell the smoke of that day; hear the creak of wood as the ceiling beams gave way. Red acted quickly, without any second-guessing. He swept her into his arms, bracing his back against the pillar that crashed down on him. She could smell the fabric of his jacket melting. She remembered him caring her out of the burning house like some kind of hero from a movie. She remembered him crying out in pain as his back caught fire. Then it was all a blur again. She silently allowed tears to spill from her eyes; to mourn that day and the events they held.

"You saved me..." Her voice was merely a whisper.

He turned to face her, cupping her cheeks in his hands. He felt the wetness of her tears and slowly stroked them away with his thumbs. As hot and heavy as everything had started her discovery of his scars made time stand still. Both of their breaths were still uneven. She looked so beautiful with her swollen lips and wild hair. It was amazing to think that he did that to her. He wanted to make her look like this every day - minus the tears of course. That thought brought him back to the moment at hand. He didn't deserve this beautiful woman standing in front of him. He had done too many unspeakable things. He'd hurt her; not intentionally, but still being in her life had brought her unhappiness. He was so scared that she would reject him, that the scars on his back would mean the end to them, that she wouldn't understand their true meaning, that she would only see the marks and not the man underneath. He wanted so desperately to salvage this situation.

He could just turn his back on her and walk away - that would probably be the safest decision for his heart… seeing disgust in her eyes would break it into a thousand pieces. Somehow, though, he chose to trust her, to pray to God that she would give him a chance. He saw a dozen or so emotions cross her eyes and her face. He wanted to tell her that he would never let anything happen to her, that he would make the same choice in a heartbeat again... but instead he just uttered softly, honestly:

"Always, sweetheart."

She stared at him with such doe eyes that he couldn't help but to pull her into his arms and carry her to the couch. He held her while she was sitting in his lap, stroking her arms and back to soothe her as much as he could. All the anger he'd felt earlier washed away like waves over sand.

"Red, what happened that night, please I'm begging you..." She didn't finish her sentence, only lifted her head from his chest to stare into his eyes.

He knew that if he kept the rest of the details from her she would slowly but surely self-destruct every time she remembered something, as she would only be getting small pieces of the puzzle. It would do her more damage to doubt and struggle with pieces than for her to hear the whole truth. He couldn't protect her from it anymore.

"Lizzie… This will be hard to hear, hard to understand, but you should hear it all from me so that you can completely understand. Do not hate yourself, for you were so young and couldn't help but to be swept up in your circumstances. In fact, you should be proud of the protective instincts that you displayed at such a tender age. You… well, you shot your father that night because he was giving you and your mother up as collateral damage. He sold out your mother to her worst enemies. They were fighting about the location of the fulcrum, that night. As soon as she discovered his betrayal, she made plans to run; to take you with her and disappear. But things didn't go as planned. Your father wanted the fulcrum that night, and when she didn't give him the location things got ugly. That's what you saw when he was hurting her. You had no choice, my dear. I didn't want to tell you, because I knew the damage the betrayal of a father could do to a person. Furthermore, I didn't want you to know that it was my fault."

He tried to keep his voice steady but the emotions were too strong, his guilt at his failure too fresh. He tasted something salty on his lips and it was only then that he realized he was crying.

"Your mother was my asset. I was going to turn her, make her good. I was supposed to protect her, but I failed miserably."

He bowed his head, resting it on her shoulder. He didn't have the strength to look into her eyes and see the disgust that would inevitably be there. He felt ashamed and beaten down. He would never be deserving of her, knowing that, however indirectly, he was the reason for her not having her mother while growing up.

She lifted his chin, stroking over his cheeks with her fingers. She saw the fear in his eyes. She wanted to let him know that it was okay, that she understood now and that she didn't blame him. After all, he wasn't the bad guy here; her biological father was. Red was the one who'd saved her, very nearly at the expense of his own life. Not once had he tried to defend himself when she'd called him a monster or questioned his intentions. It was all part of a selfless act to try and protect her from the truth that he knew would only hurt her. She felt so guilty for all the terrible things she'd said and done to hurt him... he didn't deserve that. She didn't want to hurt this already broken man in front of her any further.

"Red it's okay, I don't blame you." She lightly touched her lips to his.

"Thanks for saving me... for always being there." She couldn't control the sobs that were making her body tremble against his.

"I'm so sorry for always thinking the worst... for saying those things." She cried against his chest with her arms around his neck.

It was only when he shifted to pick up her blouse that had landed on the couch during their earlier moment, that she realized she was still bare-chested against him. He draped the blouse around her shoulders, allowing her to pull the halves together with one hand. She suddenly remembered what had brought them to this moment. She needed to tell him, to make him understand.

"I wasn't going to run away with Tom."

After his explanation of the night that had changed both their lives, he hadn't said a word. He continued his silence, even at her confession. However, his head shifted so that he could look her in the eyes. She could tell that he was battling with himself. She could see the hopeful emotion in his eyes. She needed him to know the truth. He'd told her the truth and now it was her turn.

"That day on the boat was a mistake, one I've regretted ever since. I was shopping for a gift for you when he showed up."

"So you didn't plan the meeting?" His voice had a sliver of hope in it, as he stared at her while waiting for her to continue.

"No, in fact I never wanted to see him again. He told me he wanted a second chance; tried to convince me to go away with him. I pushed him away when he kissed me, and that's why, in the photos you got, my hands were probably on his chest."

She needed him to understand that there would never be a 'Tom and her' again. That she couldn't even fathom the idea of being without Red, not since that kiss. That it was him that she wanted to run away with, not Tom… him… She wanted this unbelievably unselfish man, who had sacrificed so much for her over the years.

"You didn't kiss him back?" He was only repeating her words in disbelief.

"No." She needed him to understand and believe her. She needed him to see that it was only him that she wanted.

"No. I couldn't, I didn't want to, he wasn't the one I wanted, he wasn't the one I needed. I never wanted to run away with Tom - he was feeding you lies. Probably hoping that it would drive a wedge between us."

Still, Red just stared at her, not saying anything. She was desperate; how could he not know or see how she felt about him? Didn't he feel the electricity each time they brushed against each other? She was way in over her head and she knew it. She knew that nothing she could say or do would change the way she felt about him. It was a base emotion, part of her existence. He was part of her, even if she didn't want him to be. He was always there. He would always be there. He was part of her like the blood in her veins. She lost a terrible battle against herself, fighting against what she felt for the man whose lap she was sitting in.

"Don't you get it?" She asked him, hoping that he would know that there could never be anyone else.

"Get what?" He asked, his eyes focused on her face.

"I'm in love with you."

She hadn't planned on telling him that, but apparently her heart made the decision for her. She was planning on telling him that she wanted him, needed him even… she hadn't intended on putting it all out there just yet. She knew, however, that it was the truth; that she'd felt this way for a long time now. So she let the emotion show, let her love for him shine through her eyes.

Fear made her study his face, fear of him not feeling the same way. Fear of rejection. She watched as a shocked expression crossed his face. His eyes were unbelieving of what he'd just heard.

Raymond Reddington couldn't believe his ears. He must have just died and this was some kind of heavenly dream, because never had he ever thought that he would hear those words from her sweet mouth. She loved him. Love. She felt the same way. He felt his heart swell at the thought of it. She didn't want Tom, Tom had lied, Lizzie wanted him. He couldn't believe it. He never thought it possible for him to be given something so incredible. The way she looked at him, she let him see it. It was the truth, he could tell, written all over her face and shining through her eyes. He felt like that fish he'd told her about and she was the ray of light shining down on him. He felt warmth spread through him, tugging at his heart. He just wanted to press her tighter against him, hold on to her and never let go. But he needed her to be sure. He needed her to know that if they were to start this that there was no turning back, that he wouldn't be capable of turning back. He needed her for always or not at all. He couldn't be satisfied with bits and pieces. He needed all of her, everything.

"Lizzie," he sighed out her name. "Lizzie, are you sure about this? I can't have you, but not have _all_ of you. I also couldn't bear to have you in my arms for only one night, when I want to spend the rest of my days with you in them. I need you to be sure, I need to know that you are all in, because it's all of you or nothing, I'm afraid. I'm a jealous and possessive man."

Red held her gaze, trying to see if there was a future for him, for them.

"I'm sure, Raymond." His name sounded like honey dripping from her tongue. He wanted to hear her sigh it, moan it, scream it. More than anything, he wanted to hear the love in her voice when she calls out his name.

He traced his hands up her arms until he was cupping her face, never breaking eye contact. He cradled her face, pulled her head down to his, and pressed a soft, tender kiss to her lips. One that was supposed to tell her that she is the best thing in his life. She deepened the kiss by tracing her tongue along his bottom lip, seeking entrance to his mouth. When her tongue stroked the roof of his mouth and met his tongue, he couldn't help but to moan into her mouth. She pulled away and he thought immediately that she'd come to her senses; that she realized that she deserves more than him. The way she was staring at him told him something completely different. There was love in her eyes; he could see it. He felt the warmth of her gaze spread through him.

"Make love to me Raymond," she softly whispered to him.

Lizzie had never felt as sure about anything in her life as she did now, knowing she wanted him, all of him. She stared into his eyes, those amazing green eyes, waiting for him to respond. She saw the emotions cross his eyes and then he smiled a wicked smile that made her very much aware that she wanted this man in front of her.

He dropped his hands to her thighs, pressing into the tender flesh briefly before he grabbed her and pulled her up with him as he stood. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moved her arms around his neck, holding onto him. He carried her up the stairs like she weighed nothing more than a feather. He passed her room and just went straight down the hallway. Coming to a stop in front of his door, he pressed her up against it and she felt her blood turn to fire again. His mouth moved to her neck and suddenly he was kissing and sucking vigorously at the tender skin. It was all she could do just to hold onto him for dear life as he sucked and licked until she was sure he'd left new marks on her neck in addition to the ones he'd made earlier. He bit down on the flesh where her shoulder and neck joined, and she struggled to keep herself from moaning. Her breasts were pressed against his chest and she realized that her bra was still downstairs with his t-shirt as she felt his chest hair tickle her. Her shirt was barely hanging onto her frame and the open halves were pushed far to the side, not hindering their skin-on-skin contact in the least.

She ground her hips into his to make him unravel quicker, but what she felt there made her unravel instead. He was straining hard against the zipper of his dress pants. He growled low into her ear at her bold move and that inspired her to do it again. She wanted to hear him make that sound again and again. It sounded like a predator eyeing his prey. She felt her arousal shoot straight to her core as he pressed into her. This man was going to make her lose control.

He somehow managed to open the door and then they were in his room. She didn't really get a chance to look at her surroundings because he moved his lips to hers and they were again kissing passionately. His tongue stroked hers and mapped the spaces of her mouth. They were fighting for dominance again as his hand moved to her ass, cupping her with his fingers digging into her soft flesh.

He walked them towards the bed, divesting her of her shirt as he moved, and only broke the kiss when he laid her down on the soft silk sheets of his bed. She loved how soft it felt and she knew that there could be nothing but the best for Raymond Reddington. He stared down at her from the end of the bed, his eyes full of desire. She felt hot under his gaze, and completely exposed to him; it was a truly heady feeling. He moved forward, his eyes not leaving hers as he popped the button of her pants for the second time that night. His fingers gazed over her lace-covered mound as he pulled down the zipper. He then slowly removed her pants, throwing them to the floor without regard to where they landed. She flushed even further under his gaze as he stared at her, taking her all in.

"You are so beautiful Elizabeth, I don't even have words."

He let his eyes roam over her nearly naked body. She was even more beautiful than in his fantasies. He wanted to taste, lick and lap at every inch of her. He'd dreamed of this for so long - he couldn't believe that this was actually happening. The moment she'd said she loved him, and then followed with those sweet words asking him to make love to her, he was a lost man. The way those blue eyes were staring at him now made him sure he had to have her now or he would die.

He climbed onto the bed with her, hovering over her, ghosting the back of his knuckles down her sides, enjoying the sight of her shivering at his touch. He dipped his head and gave her a long kiss, exploring her mouth. How could he ever get tired of kissing her? He only broke the kiss when they were both out of air.

"I'm going to make love to every inch of you," he stared into her eyes as he spoke and he could see her pupils dilate further, swallowing the bright blue of her gorgeous irises.

He wasn't a man who made empty promises, so he moved his mouth down her neck, kissing and biting until she moaned against his ear. It was the sexiest sound he'd ever heard and he wanted to spend the rest of the night finding each spot that would elicit noises like that from her delectable mouth. His hand came up to cup her bare breast as he kissed the dip at her collarbone. He stroked lightly over her already-hard nipples before he palmed both of her breasts in his hands. She felt so soft and warm in his hands and he wanted more, he needed more. He moved his mouth down her chest, slowly, until his mouth was just above the curve of her right breast, his breath hot against her skin. He looked up at her eyes and seeing them filled with lust made him close the distance and latch his mouth onto her supple flesh. He first stroked her hard nipple with his tongue, making it even harder, before he sucked her breast into his mouth while squeezing the other with his hand.

A long moan left her mouth as his mouth covered her breast. The man was amazing with his mouth and she gasped out when he bit down on her nipple. His eyes darted back up from under his lashes to meet hers and she loved the sight of him with her breast in his mouth; it made her already damp panties get even wetter. He sucked harder and she moved her hands to his head, keeping his mouth at her chest. She felt like she was on fire; she wanted that amazing mouth all over her. She imagined how it would feel when he dropped that mouth to between her legs. She moaned at the thought as the heat spread through her body.

Red lifted up from her breast with a small wet pop, looking up at her.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this, how much I've wanted this." His voice was even lower than usual and she was sure that she could get off on his voice alone if he kept talking to her like that. As if to prove a point, he lowered his hips and she felt his hardness straining against his pants at her inner thigh. It made her wild to think that she was doing this to him, the Concierge of Crime. She stared up at his face and she needed him to know that it'd been that way for her as well. She needed him to know that this wasn't a sudden thing; that she'd been slowly but surely falling in love with him from the first moment she saw him. He was a man larger than life, a man a woman couldn't ignore… and he was all man alright, as she felt him press large against her thigh.

"I've wanted this too…" She wanted to tell him that it'd been for a while now but her words failed to form in her mouth as his fingertips ran down her sides, slowly brushing against her skin, while his mouth trailed down her breast to her side. He kissed just below her breast and she didn't know the skin there could be so soft and sensitive. His large hands came to her hips and gripped them. She felt a shot of arousal go through her again. That was one of her weak spots; it made her wild when a man gripped her hips. The feeling of Raymond Reddington gripping her hips was hotter than she could imagine, she wanted him so badly.

His mouth trailed lower to her abdomen and then his tongue dipped into her navel. Her hand went to his shoulders, kneading at the flesh. He traced his tongue from one side of her hipbone to the other side and she had a hard time keeping still, shivering at the touch of his tongue. How could he find all of her spots so quickly? He moved his mouth the edge of her red lace panties and looked up at her again.

"I've had so many fantasies of having you like this before me, at my mercy," he said as he moved his hand from her hips to stroke down her leg. She couldn't respond; she just stared at him, all her senses heightened in anticipation of his next move. He repositioned himself till he was sitting between her legs rather than kneeling. He slowly brought her foot up to his mouth, kissing from her ankle up the inside of her left leg. He placed both her legs over his shoulders as he repeated the action with her right leg. He softly nibbled at the tender flesh of her inner thigh. Everything he did felt amazing. His touch was perfect.

She nearly gasped when she felt his hot breath on her core through the lace when he leaned forward. Her eyes shot up to meet his, finding him already staring into hers.

"You smell divine Lizzie; I can hardly wait to taste you." His voice should truly be illegal. It was so low and the way he said his nickname for her made her quiver in anticipation. She wanted to rip off her own panties so that she could feel his hot, wet mouth on her. She, however, took solace in the fact that this was Raymond Reddington she was in bed with: the way that he told her he was going to make love to every inch of her made her believe that he was going to do exactly that.

He slowly peeled of her panties, lifting one leg and then the other to get them fully off, and then he lowered his mouth to her center. She felt his hot breath against her core and she wanted to put her hands on his head and pull his mouth to where she needed him the most. Somehow, she refrained from doing so. The look in his eyes that he gave her just before he lowered his mouth to her made her wait. Then suddenly his mouth was on her, but it was only to lightly tease her with the touch of his tongue. Nothing like she needed from him now, at this moment. He teased her by moving his tongue around her clit, not quite touching it, and then doing the same with her opening. Just when she was about to beg, he sucked her clit into his mouth and she jolted up from the bed with a cry.

He splayed one hand over her stomach, pushing her back down and holding her there while he lapped at her. She could feel that the smug bastard was grinning at her reaction. He was incredible with his mouth and soon he had her moaning and writhing underneath his touch. He moved his tongue to her opening again and slowly thrust his tongue into her, making her moan all over again. She could feel her body coiling up with tension and she knew that she wasn't going to last long if he continued that. She wondered for a fleeting moment how he got so good at this, but then she thought she should probably thank the women before her and not be jealous - if it hadn't been for them she wouldn't be feeling this kind of pleasure simply from the use of his mouth. She felt herself get nearer to the edge as he thrust his tongue in and out of her, the light stubble on his cheeks grazing her inner thighs. He must have sensed her body's reaction because he moved his mouth to her clit again and then sucked on her hard. She was moaning loudly and when she couldn't hold if off anymore she felt waves of pleasure crash over her as the orgasm hit her.

He slowed his pace, bringing her down from her high but not removing his mouth from her center. He looked up at her and she struggled to focus on his face, still experiencing aftershocks from the amazing orgasm he had just given her.

"You're exquisite. Watching you come is the sexiest thing I've ever seen. I want to make you come the whole night long."

She moaned at his words as he pushed a single finger into her. She'd barely come down from her orgasm and here he was, slowly thrusting his finger into her, making her all tense again. His finger was long and thick and it was making her climb all over again. He looked up at her from between her legs.

"I want to ruin you for other men. I want you to forget about every single one there was before me and I don't want you to be even able to think about anyone but me after tonight."

His voice was low and possessive and it made her even more aroused that he was this way with her. She wanted to belong to him. She didn't want to be anyone's but his. She wanted him to belong to her too. She like the fact that he was possessive.

He lowered his mouth and he began stroking her clit with his tongue as he moved his finger inside her. She moaned and she felt herself begin to lose control. She moved her hips to meet his mouth and she felt him graze her clit with his teeth at that. He was awakening sides to her that she didn't even know existed. She was thrashing her head from side to side on the pillow, nearing the edge again for the second time in such a short period, and it was all because of the man that she was in love with between her legs. He added a second finger and thrust into her harder and faster that before. He built her up so high with just his mouth and fingers. When he curled his fingers, hitting her sweet spot, she was lost. Ecstasy took over her body as she hit her third orgasm that night.

He climbed up her body until he was over her, putting most of his body weight on his elbows. He stroked her beautiful face as he watched her come down from her orgasm. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He watched those lovely blue eyes regain focus. He had to kiss her… she just looked so incredible. He gave her a soft, long kiss, trying to tell her just how in awe he was of her. Her taste was still lingering on his tongue. When he saw the look she gave him it made him twitch in his pants, reminding him how painfully hard he was for her. He needed her… he wanted to do this slow and worship every piece of her body because she deserved it… but right now he needed her.

He slowly licked his fingers clean once he pulled back from their kiss. She had a wild look in her eye, riveted as she watched him lick each one clean before kissing her again. She bit down on his bottom lip before she smoothed it with her tongue. She traced her fingers over his shoulders, over his scarred back, bringing them to rest on his stomach. He was in really good shape; all the fighting he did must have a good effect on his physique. His chest was broad and muscular and she couldn't help but to trace her fingers over his pectorals, before slowly biting his nipple and making his growl. She loved that she had this kind of power over him. She traced her fingers down to his stomach again; he was softer there and there was line of golden hair from his navel that trailed lower until it disappeared underneath the waistband of his dress pants. She wanted to follow that line. She moved her hand to his belt and with trembling fingers she finally undid them. He was straining hard against the zipper and when she slowly pulled it down she could feel him even more.

"You are wearing entirely too many clothes - off, now." She commanded and she watched him grin as he helped her move his pants and silk boxers down his hips. He moved off the bed and pulled off the pants and boxers. He was standing naked before her in all his glory. She couldn't help the gasp she let out when her eyes traveled down to his proud cock. He was big. He was definitely bigger that any man that she'd been with. She had a moment of panic wondering if he was going to fit. But, oh dear lord, he was sexy and she wanted to feel him inside of her.

"Like what you see, sweetheart? Just wait till you feel me filling you up from inside of you."

His voice and his words made her feel a rush of fresh wetness at her core. She wanted him so badly. When he came to lie over her, between her legs, keeping his weight off of her with his arms, she reached for him. She needed to feel him. She wrapped her fingers around him and reveled in how he was as hard as steel and how the skin was so soft. She slowly pumped her hand up and down but his hand was soon grabbing her wrist, stopping her before she could really do much more.

"I won't be able to last if you keep doing that. I've wanted this too long and you're simply mesmerizing," he apologized.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him long and hard. She felt his hardness resting hot against her inner thigh and it made lust seer through her. She ground her hips against him suggestively, using her body to tell him what she no longer had the words for. She couldn't wait anymore; she needed him. She needed to feel him deep inside of her. He made a noise in the back of his throat that only spurred her on further.

When he broke the kiss, he stared into her eyes; she saw desire, lust and love. Although he didn't say it yet, the latter was there in his eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked one last time.

She kissed him hard, trying to make him feel how badly she wanted this. She breathed a soft yes into the space between their mouths. She felt him shift and then his hard length was pressing at her wet core. She saw lust smolder even further in his eyes as she saw the precise moment he noticed how ready for him she was. He intertwined their fingers and placed their hands above her head. He locked his gaze with hers and then he slowly pushed into her, inch by inch. They both let out strangled moans as he inexorably pushed into her. She gasped at the feel of him; he was stretching her and the feeling was right on the brink between pain and pleasure. When he finally buried himself into her to the hilt, her eyes rolled back into her head and she closed them at the feeling of being so filled.

"Open your eyes Elizabeth - look at me." Red's voice softly commanded from above her.

She slowly opened them. His face was shining with love and awe of the moment and she felt her heart tighten at the view.

"You feel so incredible, sweetheart." His voice was softer but it had an edge to it that she'd never heard before.

After giving her time to adjust he slowly pulled back until he was almost completely out, then slowly thrust back into her, making her moan. He lifted her legs so that they wrapped around his hips, giving him an even better angle within her. He felt amazing and she enjoyed the feeling of him filling her so completely. He did it again and again. His pace was so slow, driving her mad, and she didn't know how he was able to hold onto his control. She could feel him holding back, fighting to stay in control, but she didn't want him to hold back. She moved her hips to meet him thrust for thrust, making him grunt. She was already ready to come the moment he pushed into her, but now she was completely bathed in pleasure. The way he was thrusting in and out of her, now at a faster pace, had her wild. She didn't know if she could hold on much longer. Just the mere fact that she was joined with him in this way was overwhelming. She'd never felt this way before, nor had she ever imagined that making love could feel like this. She felt like she was drifting up on clouds high above earth. She had never been the loud type, but he was sure making her moan and sigh.

She moaned loud as he began thrusting into her even harder than before.

"Raymond," she was moaning his name.

He nearly spilled inside her at the sound of his name rolling off her tongue with such pleasure. She was so tight, so warm, so wet, and her inner muscles were clenching at him deliciously. He'd waited so long for this that he never wanted it to end, but he knew that he wasn't going to last much longer and neither was she. He could see it in the way her eyes drifted closed from pleasure, and hear it in the calling out of his name, and feel it in the way her nails dug into his shoulders… she was definitely close as well. He began thrusting into her harder and was rewarded with a gasp.

He was so deep inside of her and he filled her senses, her mind, her body and her heart. She felt her body near the edge and she heard him asking her to open her eyes. She hadn't even realized she'd closed them again. She complied and she saw such love there in them.

"I love you Elizabeth," he whispered.

That was all it took. He sent her flying over the edge with his words and a final deep thrust. Her orgasm triggered his, and he joined her with her name on his lips, spilling into her with a few last thrusts.

He collapsed on top of her. Both of them tried to get their breathing under control as they came down from their mutual high. The weight of his body was delicious on top of her and she didn't want him to move. He slowly rolled off of her, though. She immediately missed the feel of his body on top of hers, but he pulled her into his arms so that she rested against his chest. She laid there in his arms, one hand over his heart, feeling it slow down underneath her palm as they regained their breath.

"You love me?" She tilted her chin slightly so that she could look up into his eyes.

"Always," he answered, placing a soft kiss on her lips and hugging her tightly to him. She felt herself drifting off to sleep with a smile on her face in the arms of the man that she loved.


End file.
